Saving Me
by SouthernStars
Summary: Gabriella Montez moves to New Mexico to heal from a tragedy. Once there she meets Troy Bolton and he tries to help her come to terms with what happened. It's a Troyella
1. Someone's Watching Over Me

**Disclaimer – I do not own High School Musical or any related characters**

**Summary – Gabriella Montez moves to New Mexico to escape a tragedy and heal from it. Once there she meets Troy Bolton and he tries to help her come to terms with what happened. It's a Troyella. **

_**SAVING ME **_

**CHAPTER 1**

**SOMEONE'S WATCHING OVER ME**

Gabriella Montez sighed in frustration as she realized that the book she was reading was coming to a close. She hated it when another book ended; it meant that she had to return to her reality, a reality that she would love to forget. Her eyes began to wander around her room, it was big, she had the biggest room in the house, even though she had wanted her mother to have it. Her eyes drifted over the desk which was neat and orderly, her bookshelf, her stereo system and than found there way back to the page, which no longer held her interest. With another sigh of frustration, she marked the page and threw it aside. Standing up she stretched and glanced at the clock. 8:15pm. She froze and tears filled her eyes as she remembered why she had wanted to escape reality, why the time on the clock caused her to freeze and her eyes to fill with tears. It was the time she had last seen him alive and not, well not healthy, but definitely alive.

_Flashback_

"_Come here Gabi, I want to show you something" Carlos Montez called to his only child. _

_Gabriella groaned but obeyed, setting her pencil down, she walked over to her father, who seemed more yellow than he had that morning. She sat down next to him and he wrapped an arm around her, giving her the sense of security that only a father could give a daughter. _

"_This is your mother and me on our wedding day, it was a photo that one of our friends had taken and given to us. I just found it and I want you to have it" he handed her the photo._

_Gabriella looked at it and smiled her parents we're slow dancing and they were looking at each other like they were the only ones in the world. It was a good photo, her father looked strong and healthy, the way he did before he had gotten sick and her mother looked gorgeous. _

"_Thanks dad" she said hugging him. _

"_I love you Gabriella Anne Montez and don't you ever forget that" he whispered in her ear. _

"_I love you too daddy" she replied enjoying the moment, knowing that he wouldn't be around for much longer, moments like this were to be treasured and she knew that. _

_She pulled back and rested her head on his chest, glancing at the clock. 8:15. _

"_I have homework to do, I'll be quick and than we'll watch a movie okay?" she said standing up. _

"_Yes sweetie" he replied smiling sadly, a look in his eye that said he wouldn't be doing that._

_Gabriella smiled and stood up. _

"_I love you Gabi" he said as she walked out. _

"_I love you too" she replied and smiled. _

_Finish_

Gabriella felt the tears slide down her cheeks as she thought about how lucky she was that she had told him that she loved him, she'd heard stories about how some daughters had yelled at their fathers and never had gotten to take it back. She knew she had been lucky to have him for the time she had him for, she knew that he had cheated time for a bit. Still this knowledge didn't make it any easier to pick up the pieces, she was still broken and she still didn't know how to pick up the pieces. She didn't know if she _could_ pick up the pieces, outwardly she was being strong for her mother, but inside she couldn't feel anything. She was numb; it was the strangest feeling in the world. She could laugh and cry and smile, but she didn't feel the happiness that came with that or the sadness. Well she did, but she didn't. Emotions were distant; she could still feel them but not the way she used to. Happiness didn't flood through her body; no emotion flooded her body any more. Glancing at the clock again she froze again and than started to shake. It 8:20 and her memory wasn't failing her.

_Flashback_

"_GABRIELLA! Call an ambulance" her mother screamed in panic. _

_Gabriella jumped up and ran into the lounge room, panicked by her mothers tone, her heart filled with dread. She stood in the doorway, frozen; her father was on the floor twitching uncontrollably, his eyes were staring at her blankly. _

"_Gabriella!" her mother screamed again, Gabriella snapped into action._

_She pulled out her phone and dialed 911. Quickly and efficiently she gave them the address and the symptoms and repeated the instructions that they gave her to her mother. She hung up and knelt down pulling her fathers head onto her lap. As she looked at her father's pain filled eyes, Gabriella was filled with indescribable fear. She was going to lose him. _

_Finish_

Gabriella sat down on her bed, unable to believe that she could remember something like that. She wanted to block it out but it happened every night, every time she looked at the clock. She would remember what she had been doing that day and it drove her crazy. She'd taken to avoiding looking at the time, because every time she did she would zone out of whatever she was doing and be filled with another memory, memories that she wanted to block. A knock on the door made her jump.

"Come in" she called quickly wiping the tears away from her eyes.

Carmen Montez opened the door to her daughter's new room and walked in. She gazed at her daughter and knew that she had been crying, no matter how much she tried to hide it from her mother. Carmen walked over to her daughter's bed and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly and Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah mom, I'm fine" she replied avoiding her mothers worried gaze.

"Okay, you've got school tomorrow" Carmen said gently, wishing Gabriella would stop lying to her.

Gabriella nearly groaned. She had temporarily forgotten that she had a new school to go to; in fact she had temporarily forgotten that she had moved. Her mother had needed to get away from the house; her memories and Gabriella had had to follow. As much as she hadn't wanted to.

"Thanks mum" Gabriella said and made an attempt at a smile.

"I know it was hard Gabi, but it was all for the best" Carmen said sadly.

Gabriella suddenly felt bad; she had been giving her mother short answers ever since she had told her that her company was allowing her to relocate to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Leaning over she gave her mother a hug.

"I know mom, I know" she replied and let her go.

"Don't stay up to late" was all her mother said as she left, shutting the door.

Gabriella sighed as she stared at the shut door; she had to remember that her mother was suffering as much as she was. Gabriella grabbed her remote and turned on her stereo, Hilary Duff's voice filled her room. As much as she hated Hilary Duff, she couldn't help but like this song.

_**I found myself today oh I found myself and ran away**_

_**Something pulled me back**_

_**Voice reason I forgot I had**_

_**All I know is your not here to say**_

_**What you always used to say**_

_**But it's written in the sky tonight**_

_**So I won't give up **_

_**No I won't break down**_

_**Sooner than it seems**_

_**Life turns around**_

_**And I will be strong**_

_**Even if it all goes wrong**_

_**When I'm standing in the dark **_

_**I'll still believe**_

_**Someone's watching over me**_

_**I've seen that ray of light**_

_**And it's shining on my destiny**_

_**Shining all the time**_

_**I won't be afraid**_

_**To follow everywhere it's taking me**_

_**All I know is**_

_**Yesterday is gone**_

_**Right now I belong**_

_**To this moment**_

_**To my dreams**_

_**So I won't give up**_

_**No I won't break down**_

_**Sooner than it seems **_

_**Life turns around **_

_**And I will be strong**_

_**Even when it all goes wrong**_

_**And when I'm standing in the dark **_

_**I'll still believe**_

_**Someone's watching over me**_

_**It doesn't matter what people say**_

_**It doesn't matter how long it takes**_

_**Believe in yourself and you'll find**_

**_It only matters how true you are_**

_**Be true to yourself and follow your heart**_

_**So I won't give up**_

_**No I won't break down**_

_**Sooner than it seems **_

_**Life turns around**_

_**And I will be strong**_

_**Even when it all goes wrong**_

_**And when I'm standing in the dark**_

_**I'll still believe**_

_**Someone's watching over me**_

Gabriella knew that her face was wet with tears as the song came to a close, but she couldn't be bothered to wipe them away. It had already gone wrong, and what if life didn't turn around? What if she was stuck like this forever? What if she was numb forever? What if she still kept on falling and no-one saved her? How did she know that he was watching over her? Why did this have to happen to her? The questions swirled around Gabriella's head causing her to feel dizzy. She knew that there was no answers, just endless questions that no-one could answer, least of all herself. No matter how hard she tried to answer those questions the only thing it led to was more questions, questions that she tried to answer. It was a never ending circle that led back to one simple question. Why? That was the question that Gabriella wanted to answer the most, but she couldn't. It was impossible, the question that no-one could give her an answer to. She hated the question, she hated it so much because it evaded an answer, no explanation seemed good enough, doctors could offer scientific answers, the church could offer ridiculous religious ones, her own mother could combine the two and offer an odd one, her friends could put all three together and offer an even stranger one. But none of them answered the question, maybe because she knew that they couldn't answer it. Gabriella wanted an answer that was different, an answer that maybe didn't answer the question but she could find comfort in and none of them were right, they were just opinions that were drilled into the person that offered them, she needed a real answer. An answer that could help thaw her heart and allow emotion back in and _peace_ back in. A peace that she craved desperately, a peace that everyone seemed to have but her, a peace that had been evading her for what seemed like forever, a peace that she knew she needed.

"Brilliant Gabriella" she muttered as her head began to ache at all the thinking.

Gabriella stood up and headed to the bathroom, she pulled out some Advil and gulped down two of the blue pills, before brushing her teeth. She yelled a 'Goodnight' downstairs to her mother, who returned the favor and walked into her room and shut the door. Quickly she locked her balcony door and slipped under the covers, she reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. Rolling onto her side she stared into the dark, wishing that the answer would magically come to her. Wishing that the world was back to normal. Wishing that she didn't have to start a new school tomorrow. Wishing she knew if someone _was_ watching over her.

"Don't be silly, Gabriella, no-one's watching over you" she scolded herself.

But what if someone was? What if someone was actually doing exactly that, protecting her from more pain and hurt? Her eyes started to grow heavy and her thinking slowly slowed down, before she went to sleep, she heard herself say something that she desperately wanted to believe.

"Someone's watching over me"


	2. Iris

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: Hey guys! I forgot to put a note at the end of the last chapter, but I hope you all liked it! I've decided to put a song in each chapter and the songs will relate to what Gabriella's going through each chapter or what she's feeling. Anyway I hope you like this chapter!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 2**

**IRIS**

Gabriella stared at her reflection, wondering how she could look so normal when everything else wasn't normal. Wasn't even close to it. Her mother had woken her up like usual and Gabriella had gone through her normal routine, breakfast, shower, get dressed, put all the new school supplies into her bag, okay that part wasn't normal, but it was as close to her old routine as she had gotten. But it wasn't normal. It wasn't normal because there was something missing, something that made the house seem like a home, and something that made the familiar routine seem familiar. Gabriella sighed, that something was never going to be there again. Her 'normal' routine wasn't normal at all now, because he was missing. The quirks that had come with the 'normal' routine had left and she missed them, she missed how he would accidentally-on-purpose eat half of her share of the pancakes, she missed how he would walk past her door, knock loudly and tell her that the bus had just driven past with an evil grin on his face. She just missed him.

"Gabi, we have ten minutes before we have to leave" her mother called through the door and Gabriella cringed at the use of her name.

He had been the only one allowed to call her that, when somebody else called her that it just made her cringe. Her mother called her it to comfort her when she was upset and the only thing it did was make the pain increase because his last words to her had involved that name. The last words. Gabriella felt tears well up as she remembered them '_I love you, Gabi_' those words echoed in her mind and instead of comforting her, instead of making her feel safe, they tortured her. They tortured her because of the look in his eye when he had said it to her. The look that said he had known that it was the last time he was going to say it to her, the look that said the he had known that they were the last words he would ever say to her. It took Gabriella a moment to realize that she way crying again, this part she was really getting sick of. Crying could only do so much and it made her feel even worse than when she was sitting in her room, her mind replaying the events that had happened. Shaking her head Gabriella turned her thoughts away from where they were heading, knowing that she would get a headache if she continued down that path. She threw herself onto her unmade bed and stared at the ceiling, her mind blank, free of any thoughts what so ever. The song that had been playing finished and Gabriella sat up in shock as the new one came on. There was no way that this song was on this CD, yet it was blaring from her speakers.

_**And I'd give up forever to touch you**_

_**Cause I know that you feel me somehow**_

_**You're the closest to heaven**_

_**That I'll ever be and I don't want to go home**_

_**Right now**_

_**And all I can taste is sweetness**_

_**And all I can breathe is your life**_

_**And sooner or later its over**_

_**I just don't want to miss you tonight**_

_**And I don't want the world to see me**_

_**Cause I don't think that they'd understand**_

_**When everything's made to be broken**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

_**And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming**_

_**A moment of truth in your lies**_

_**When everything feels like the movies**_

_**Yeah you bleed just to know your alive**_

_**And I don't want the world to see me **_

_**Cause I don't think that they'd understand**_

_**When everything's made to be broken **_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

Gabriella sat on her bed, frozen, unable to move as the instrumental part blasted from her stereo. This song was playing, she wasn't dreaming. His favorite song was playing on her stereo. The last time she had heard it was at the funeral nearly four months ago and at the time she had never wanted to hear it again. But now as she sat there, she couldn't help but feel comforted by the song.

_**And I don't want the world to see me**_

_**Cause I don't think that they'd understand**_

_**When everything's made to be broken**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

_**And I don't want the world to see me **_

_**Cause I don't think that they'd understand**_

_**When everything's made to be broken**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

Gabriella felt a small smile form as the song finished. It was the first time she had voluntarily smiled in months. Sure the song was a little bit depressing but it was the first time she had felt comforted, ever since it had happened. She was still numb, she still wanted an answer, but for a moment she had a fleeting feeling that everything would be alright. The feeling soon disappeared when her mother knocked on the door for the second time and told her that it was time to take her too school.

In the car on the way to Gabriella's new school Carmen kept on glancing at her daughter worriedly. She had heard the song that had been playing on her stereo and she knew its significance to Gabriella. It worried her even more that while Gabriella could listen to that song, she refused to so much as talk about her father. Carmen wished her daughter wasn't as stubborn as her father; Gabriella was the one that needed a strong someone to lean on, not her. Carmen knew that she had been leaning on her daughter more than she ought to in the past months but she couldn't help it. Not only was Gabriella a miniature Carlos, but she was the only family Carmen had left, having lost her own parents before Gabriella had even been born. Gabriella was the only thing that kept her going, but she worried. If Gabriella faded away, than what would happen to her? It was a selfish thought and Carmen nearly stopped driving because of it. With a sigh, she glanced at her daughter again and than concentrated on the road leaving her thoughts where they were.

Gabriella knew her mother was glancing at her every now and than, but she didn't want to let her mother know she knew. It would only lead to a discussion that she didn't want to have, a discussion that involved everything from why she had been listening to that particular song, Gabriella knew that her mother had heard the song playing, to why she avoided talking about him. Gabriella didn't want to hurt her mother and she knew that if she spoke about her feelings, her mother would look at her with disgust for the rest of her life and Gabriella couldn't stand for that to happen. Gabriella couldn't stand to lose the one parent she had left, she knew what she was doing was right. She knew that her mother needed to be protected from certain things and Gabriella's feelings about what had happened where at the top of the protection list.

"We're here" Carmen announced as the pulled into the East High car park.

Gabriella tried to muster an enthusiastic smile but she was positive that the only thing that could be seen was a sort of painful grimace. She had been dreading starting at a new school, until she realized that no-one actually knew about her past. This thought was the one thing Gabriella clung to as she got out of the car and made her way to the administration office, if no-one knew her past than she wouldn't have to deal with the awkward stares and the sympathetic looks. That was one thing to be grateful for, she told herself as she and her mother waited to meet the principle.

Principle Dave Matsui walked out of his office to greet the new student and her mother. He looked around curiously for the father, before turning his attention to the Carmen Montez and her daughter Gabriella. He had gone over Gabriella's transcripts before he had greeted them and was pleased to discover that Gabriella was an above average student, she was also quite pretty he decided, before noticing the shadow in her eyes when she looked up at him. He frowned and wondered why a girl of her age was so serious, before turning his attention to the mother.

Gabriella shifted uncomfortably when she felt the principle's eyes on her. She figured she was dressed appropriately, jeans, a white singlet top, and a green blazer, nothing outlandish. Still his eyes were on her a second too long or so she thought. After that she didn't feel the principles eyes on her at all, he seemed to focus on her mother and that was fine with Gabriella. She wasn't paying attention anyway; she knew she should, mainly because he was giving them a tour of the school and showing her where her classrooms were but Gabriella couldn't concentrate. Out of no where the song was on repeat in her head, it drowned out everything the principle said, it drowned out the kids talking and shouting to each other, it drowned out everything. Except the slight ache in her heart that she wished it would soothe. Gabriella hardly noticed that the bell had rung and that she, her mother and the principle had slowed to a stop.

"I'll pick you up this afternoon, Gabi" Carmen said turning to Gabriella, who snapped out of her daze at her mother's voice.

"Wha – okay, yeah, sure" she said cringing on the inside at the name her mother had called her. Again. Gabriella didn't have the heart to tell her to not call her that.

"I'll see you this afternoon than, enjoy your day" Carmen pressed a kiss to her daughters forehead before following the principle to fill out some papers.

Gabriella stood there, unable to move. Her mother had just left with the principle and she had no idea where to go from here. That's why you pay attention Gabriella, she chided herself and than looked down at the folder that her mother had handed her at the start of the tour. Sighing she opened it and found a map of the school. She glanced at her schedule and than around the hall, feeling a certain sense of dread. She was lost. She hated being lost and now it was the only thing she seemed to feel, besides numbness. Without thinking Gabriella took out her phone and glanced at the time, forgetting her vow as she often seemed to do. 9:35.

_Flashback_

"_Gabriella you have to eat" her mother begged her holding out some hospital food. _

_Gabriella refused it, clamping her mouth shut. She wasn't going to eat. She wouldn't eat until her mother came to a decision. Her mind drifted to her father, who was lying in a hospital bed, an IV drip in his arm and a tube down his throat. At the end of that tube was a balloon which inflated and deflated his lungs with the help of a machine. Life support. When that turned off, he would only be able to live for another hour or so and than he would permanently leave her, she would be all alone in a world that didn't seem to care. _

"_I am not eating mother" Gabriella finally snapped at her mother, silencing Carmen with a vicious look. _

_Gabriella turned and looked out the window, so her mother wouldn't see the tears that were forming and beginning to spill over. _

_Finish_

Gabriella suddenly realized that she was moving again, her feet taking her where ever they thought she should go. Gabriella glanced at the map and discovered that she was following the route to her homeroom. 'How on earth did I do that?' she asked herself. She knew she had absolutely no map reading skills and she was in a new school with a map.

"I'm losing it" she muttered and rounded a corner.

Before she knew exactly what had happened she was on the floor and the folder was up in the air, the contents floating down around her. Gabriella suddenly became aware that she was not the only one on the floor. Looking up she met a pair of electric blue eyes and she felt herself grow bright red. This was _not_ happening.

"Ow" she muttered sitting up straighter and looking down.

"I'd have to agree" his voice made her look up again and once again Gabriella met those blue eyes.

She felt herself go redder, and looked around. There was paper all over the floor and his books were all over the place as well. She groaned, everything in the folder had been organized for her and on top of that she had lost the map. Slowly she switched her position so she was kneeling and began to collect the papers. She worked quickly and stuffed everything back into the folder.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked watching her as she worked.

Gabriella nodded, she didn't want to speak, she just wanted to get out of there. This was too humiliating for words. Standing up she quickly she shoved the folder in her bag and took off in the opposite direction, leaving the boy staring after her. As Gabriella ran she wondered if she really was alright. Her running came to a halt and she took a deep breath, when out of no where her mouth opened.

"When everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know your alive"

Where did that come from? Gabriella wondered and than she knew. That question, one simple question. She hadn't been asked that in months, no-one had bothered to ask her that. There were variations, 'How do you feel?' and 'What's your life like right now?' but nothing as straight forward as that, nothing like 'Are you alright?' and that question left her wondering, did she need to bleed just so she knew she was alive?

**A/N: Done! I hope you like it, because I'm not sure I do. And she met Troy, in case you didn't know who the guy was. Oh and the song is 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. I'll try and update soon. **


	3. I'm Still Here

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters**

**A/N: Hey I hope you liked the last chapter, we get to know Troy a bit better in this chapter and Gabriella's opinion of him starts to form as well, so enjoy!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 3**

**I'M STILL HERE**

Gabriella leaned against the locker that she had stopped by, her mind still reeling from the thoughts that had just past through her head. She knew that she was numb; she knew that she couldn't feel anything and that the humiliation that she had just felt, she hadn't really felt or experienced she had just known that it was something that someone in her position would have felt if they had been in her position. But that thought, it had hit her like a truck. Because it had made so much sense, how did she know she was alive? How did she know she could even bleed? Was her blood frozen, because she couldn't feel emotions, did that mean that her blood just stopped until she thawed? If so how was she going to thaw and when? Did she have to do it alone? Her mother couldn't help her, she knew that, but who would? Would someone help her? Would someone save her? How did one question set off more? Gabriella closed her eyes and allowed her head to rest against the locker. More questions and no answers. That's all her life seemed to consist of. Questions.

"Hey, are you sure your alright?" someone touched Gabriella's shoulder and she jumped.

She pulled away from the locker and spun on her heel to see who had spoken. Only to discover it was the boy who she had run into. Gabriella stared at him, why had he followed her? She had run off, didn't that say something? Apparently not, Gabriella wondered if she should answer or just bolt again. With a sigh she decided that she would have to answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied shortly, even though in truth she was as far from fine as you could get.

He studied her closely and Gabriella wondered why he was doing that. Her own mother couldn't read her, what would make him think that he could? Besides she didn't even know his name and he most definitely didn't know hers.

"Okay" he nodded, unconvinced, and Gabriella stared at him, he didn't _know_ her and he could still take the tone her mother used when she asked a similar question and got a similar answer.

They were both silent for a moment and Gabriella suddenly realized that they both were meant to be in class. She opened her folder to sort through the papers in search of her map. She'd only gone through about three papers when she felt eyes on her, her head snapped up and her brown eyes met the boys blue ones, which were twinkling slightly. She eyed him and than looked back down. Unsure as to why he was watching her.

"You know, you could always ask me" his voice caused her head to snap up again and Gabriella stared at him.

"What?" she asked and he repeated what he had said.

"Um, okay" Gabriella said mentally hitting herself; she should have just done that in the first place, instead of having him think she was an idiot.

"So where are you going?" he asked and Gabriella glanced at her schedule and noted that she was going to be very late for homeroom.

"Room 214" she replied hoping that he wasn't going to point her in the direction and give her vague instructions.

"That's good, we can face Darbus together" he seemed relieved that he wasn't the only one late and Gabriella nearly frowned. What sort of person was relieved that another person was going to get into as much trouble as they were?

"Come on we'd better get going, we're really late, you're lucky you have an excuse your new, I don't. Miss Darbus will freak when she finds out I've been in the gym with my dad" the boy said and Gabriella gave him a strange look.

"You don't need to know" he said as an explanation, which Gabriella found even odder.

They began to walk down the hall, Gabriella slightly behind the boy wondering why he was helping her. She had run into him, she had knocked him on the floor and than run away. Yet he had followed her to see if she alright, which she knew that she wasn't, but still what sort of person would do that to someone who had made it clear that they didn't want to talk? Anyone else would have classified her as weird and walked the other way. Gabriella barely noticed they had stopped until a hand came down in front of her face and she jumped.

"What was that for?" she exclaimed heatedly.

"Uh I told you were here three times in a row and you didn't notice" he replied raising his eyebrows at her.

"Oh" Gabriella shifted uncomfortably and looked at her feet.

"Yeah, so before we go in can I at least know your name?" he asked her and Gabriella very nearly smiled again, he had noticed that he had no idea who she was.

"Sure as long as I can have yours" she replied nodding.

"Hmmm, I'd have to think about that" he teased her and Gabriella held her laughter in check.

"Gabriella Montez" she introduced herself as the door opened.

"Troy Bolton" he replied with a smile and Gabriella couldn't help but smile back, her smile soon faded and her feeling of ease was replaced with shock as she realized that this boy had jut managed to make her smile voluntarily, something her mother had been trying to do for months.

"Mr Bolton, you are late!" a shrill voice snapped as a short, large women appeared in the doorway.

Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she was wearing a long flowing dress, her earrings dangled to her shoulders and her glasses gave Gabriella the impression that she saw things and believed them to be larger than they actually were. Gabriella searched for a word that would sum her up and her mind landed on theatrical as she watched her launch into a lecture about the importance of not being late, which she over dramatized as if trying to get the point across. Gabriella watched for a few moments before deciding to interrupt.

"Uh, excuse me miss?" Gabriella interrupted timidly.

The woman stopped talking, her arms in mid-movement, and stared at her, seeming amazed that someone had interrupted her lecture. Next to her Gabriella heard Troy let out a sigh of relief, which he seemed to regret when the woman shot him a look.

"Can I help you?" she asked drawing up to her full height and puffing her chest out.

"I think that I'm in your homeroom, also, Troy was, uh, asked to show me where this room was and the principle detained us for a little longer than we expected and we had to run here" the words came out of thin air and Gabriella tried to put on a convincing face, unsure whether or not she was going to be believed.

Gabriella could feel Troy's eyes on her and she knew that there was a look of astonishment on his face, she didn't look at him, she just continued to stare at the wall just behind the woman. The woman herself was studying Gabriella intently, as if trying to find some crack in her face. It was the second time someone had tried to read her and for once Gabriella was grateful that most of the time she was unreadable.

"Very well, Mr Bolton you're off the hook, but if you're late again………detention and I don't care what your father says you'll get one anyway. Now who are you?" the lady turned her attention back to Gabriella, whose eyes snapped to meet hers.

Miss Katherine Darbus, very nearly recoiled when she saw that shadow in the girl's eyes, it was a look that she was not accustomed too seeing or expecting. She had at least expected a sparkle in her eyes; any girl who was in her position would have one. But no this girl had a shadow and a sadness in her eyes that Miss Darbus had never seen before and that made her curious, about the girl and her sadness.

"Um, I'm Gabriella Montez" Gabriella replied shifting uncomfortably this was the second time someone had stared at her too long and she wondered why.

"Very well, welcome to East High, I'm Miss Darbus now in" she ordered and Gabriella walked into the room, only to find everyone staring at her.

Immediately she turned around and tried to walk back out, but was stopped by Troy's tall presence in the doorway. He looked at her curiously and Gabriella turned back around to face the class. This wasn't good; she hated having people stare at her. It was something that had developed over the past few months, and Gabriella hadn't exactly taken to it. She looked at the ground her hair hiding her face, not wanting anyone to see the tears that were forming in her eyes, she felt so alone. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up in surprise.

"There's a seat up the back" Troy whispered to her and pointed discreetly.

Gabriella gave him a grateful look and moved to the seat quickly. Her tears gone, she looked up and noticed that everyone was now staring at Troy. She wondered why that was but didn't linger on it too long as a new question came to her attention. Why was Troy helping her? He could have just shown her where the room was and left it at that. She hadn't expected him to point out a seat, instead of waiting for her to find one on her own. Yet he had seemed relieved when he had found out he was not the only one late and wouldn't be the only one to face the wrath of Miss Darbus, what did that make him? Gabriella couldn't decide. She was just grateful he had decided to help her.

Gabriella heard the final bell ring and gratefully ran out the front door of the school, her eyes scanning the car park for her mother's car, which she almost immediately spotted. With a sigh of relief she ran towards it and opened the passenger door and slid in.

"How was you day?" Carmen asked glancing at Gabriella as she started the car.

That was a good question, Gabriella thought. She could barely remember her day. It had all gone so quickly. She remembered getting lost twice, being presented with three assignments and Troy Bolton. That was it, it annoyed Gabriella that while her memory failed her on this particular subject, it never failed her when she looked at the time. Those memories were preserved rather well and Gabriella wished that they hadn't even been preserved. She suddenly realized that her mother was waiting for an answer.

"It was……interesting" Gabriella said with a momentary pause.

"Interesting how?" her mother glanced at her as they turned into their street.

Gabriella glanced at her mother and wondered if she really wanted to know or if she just wanted her to talk.

"It was just interesting" she replied as they pulled into the driveway.

Carmen parked and turned off the ignition, Gabriella undid her seatbelt and reached down and pulled her bag onto her lap. She reached for the door handle and stopped when she heard her mother's pleading voice.

"Gabriella, talk to me, please"

Gabriella turned her head and stared at her Carmen, who recoiled at the look in her eyes.

"I can't" Gabriella replied not flinching as she watched Carmen's face fall.

"Why not?" Carmen asked closing her eyes.

"Because, you act like I'm not here, because, you don't know who I am" Gabriella replied, she knew what she was doing was right. She knew she was being protective. But those words still hurt to say, no matter how true they were.

"Gabriella" her mother said, pleading softly.

Gabriella didn't reply, she opened the door and got out of the car. She walked up to the front door and unlocked it with her key. She walked up to her room and shut the door. Gabriella threw her bag down onto the floor and removed the disc in her stereo and replaced it with a different one. She hit play and the sound of the ocean filled the room before the music started. Gabriella collapsed in her desk chair and stared at the blank piece of paper lying there as John Rzeznik's voice filled her room.

_**I am a question to the world **_

_**Not an answer to be heard **_

_**Or a moment that's held in your arms **_

_**And what do you think you'd ever say **_

_**I won't listen anyway**_

_**You don't know me **_

_**And I'll never be what you want**_

_**Let it be**_

_**And what do you think you'd understand**_

_**I'm a boy no I'm a man**_

_**You can't take me and throw me away**_

_**And how can you learn what's never shown**_

_**Yeah you stand here on your own**_

_**They don't know me**_

_**Cause I'm not here**_

_**And I want a moment to be real**_

**_Wanna touch things I don't feel_**

_**Wanna hold on and feel I belong**_

_**And how can the world want me to change?**_

_**They don't know me **_

_**Cause I'm not here**_

_**And you see the things they never see**_

_**All you wanted I could be**_

_**Now you know me and I'm not afraid**_

_**And I want to tell you who I am**_

_**Can you help me be a man?**_

_**They can't break me **_

_**As long as I know who I am **_

_**And I want a moment to be real**_

_**Wanna touch things I don't feel **_

_**Wanna hold on and feel I belong**_

_**And how can the world want me to change**_

**_They're the ones that stay the same_**

_**They can't see me**_

_**But I'm still here **_

_**They can't tell me who to be**_

_**Cause I'm not what they see**_

_**Yeah the world is still sleepin'**_

_**While I keep on dreamin' for me**_

_**And their words are just whispers and lies**_

_**That I'll never believe**_

_**And I want a moment to be real**_

_**Wanna touch things I don't feel**_

_**Wanna hold on and feel I belong**_

_**And how can they say I never change?**_

_**Their the ones that never change**_

_**I'm the one now**_

_**Cause I'm still here**_

_**I'm the one now**_

_**Cause I'm still here**_

_**I'm still here**_

_**I'm still here**_

_**I'm still here**_

For once there were no tears as the song came to a close and Gabriella was grateful. She wished that she had a moment to be real; she wanted a moment to touch things that she didn't feel. She was holding on but only just. Was she a question to the world? Or was she an answer? She knew that she was never going to be what her mother wanted her to be, because her mother didn't really see her. Her mother didn't know she was still here.

"I'm still here" Gabriella whispered wanting to shout it, but knowing it wouldn't help, she knew that her mother was standing on the other side of the door, frozen at the song that had just been blaring from her room. But even though she knew she was there, Gabriella couldn't do it, it would hurt too much.

Gabriella sighed and reached for her bag, she had an assignment due tomorrow and it was probably the only one she would be able to do without thinking. It was easy. She glanced at her door and than back down at the sheet.

"Cause I'm still here" she whispered, but for how long? A day? A month? An hour?

"I'm still here" she repeated determinedly, wishing it was enough to convince herself; still the question lingered in her mind. How long was she going to be around for?

**A/N: Wow, that chapter took a long time to write! I know you'll probably find the exchange between Gabriella and Carmen upsetting but please trust me on this, it will get better. The song was 'I'm Still Here' by Johnny Rzeznik. I'll update soon!**


	4. Welcome To My Life

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: Hi guys! Thanks for all the great reviews; it's such a thrill to know someone's appreciating my writing! Anyway here is the next chapter, I hope you like it! **

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 4**

**WELCOME TO MY LIFE**

Gabriella stared at her half-eaten bowl of cereal, her spoon dangled loosely in her hand, her mind completely blank. At that current moment Gabriella was devoid of any emotion what so ever, across from her Carmen sat sipping coffee and completely ignoring her only daughter. They hadn't spoken since Gabriella's harsh words in the car, those harsh words that Gabriella oddly did not regret. When she'd said them she knew that she was protecting her mother from the even harsher words that would have come tumbling out of her mouth, she knew she was protecting her mother from her feelings, but why did it hurt so much? Now she wished she could take the words back, say them in a different way perhaps or maybe even ignore the question all together. But she couldn't and now she was stuck trying to think of a way to make it up to her mother. The answer was simple; she could just talk to her mother and tell her everything but at the same time she couldn't. How did she start? That was the hard part, but what about continuing? Would she be able to continue once she started? Or would it be too hard? Gabriella pushed her cereal around her bowl for the tenth time and sighed. Why did she have to live this life? Why couldn't someone else? Why did she have to say those harsh things and than play that song? Why did these thoughts have to circle through her head over and over again until she got a headache? Why did she have to be numb? Why did she have to feel lost? Why did she have to feel like she was in the dark? Why did she feel helpless? Why, why, why? Gabriella slammed the spoon down and her mother looked up in shock.

"Gabriella, you'd better go if you want to get to school on time" Gabriella looked up shock on her face; her mother had just spoken to her.

Carmen looked back down at the book she was reading; amazed that she had actually spoken to her daughter. It had been a natural reaction, she hadn't thought about what she was doing. She had just done it. Carmen heard Gabriella get up and dump her bowl in the sink before heading upstairs. She looked up and sighed, the words that Gabriella had said in the car hung like a cloud in Carmen's mind. Not to mention the song that seemed to be on repeat every time Carmen managed to clear the words. It hurt her so much to know that Gabriella thought that she didn't know she was there or that she didn't know her. Carmen sighed again and looked back down at the book, wishing she knew what to do. Wishing that Carlos was still here, he always seemed to know exactly what to say to Gabriella. He always managed to get through to her and now Carmen wondered who would be able to do that, without Gabriella pushing them away. She looked back at her book and began to read again.

Gabriella pushed her door open and stood in the doorway, her mind still reeling from her mothers words. She knew that they held no particular significance but still she had spoken to her. Something that Gabriella knew that Carmen had been avoiding doing. Gabriella knew her mother well enough to know that when she came to a decision she would stick by it, no matter how harsh the decision was. Gabriella sighed, something that she seemed to do a lot lately, and picked up her bag that held her assignment and the other catch up homework that she had managed to do after she had recovered from the episode in the car. With a last glance at her room, that was still as neat and tidy as it was the day she had unpacked, she left and walked back downstairs. She paused at the kitchen and wondered whether or not she should say goodbye to her mother. She stood there and than walked out the door without a word, she closed her eyes as she shut the door and once again wished she had said the words in a different manner, but she hadn't and now she had to deal with the consequences of saying them.

Gabriella stared into her locker, unaware of all the shouts around her and all the people walking past. She'd zoned out again, but not into a memory, she'd just zoned out. She was in a place where she didn't have to deal with her life and those haunting questions. It was a place where she didn't have to deal with her feelings, no matter how remote they actually were. The bell rang and she snapped out of it, groaning she shut her locker and headed for her homeroom, walking slowly among the other rushing people. It didn't bother that she was going to be late for homeroom, it would earn her a detention and that would mean a few less minutes in her mothers cold company. Normally Gabriella would have thought getting a detention would have been a sin punishable by death but her life wasn't normal anymore, so it didn't matter if she got one or not. She finally reached room 214 and reached for the handle, knowing Miss Darbus would be on her like a hawk. As soon as the door opened someone ran into Gabriella and they both went flying.

The room was silent as everyone stared at the two people on the floor in a tangle of limbs and backpacks. Even Miss Darbus stared at them in shock; this was _not_ something she had to deal with often.

Gabriella stared up into the electric blue eyes of Troy Bolton and felt herself begin to blush as she released the position they were in. Her back was to the floor and he was on top of her, holding her waist, her arms were holding his shoulders and his face was centimeters from her own, their lips almost touching, Gabriella found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from his and her breath quickened, as did her pulse.

"Mr Bolton get off Miss Montez right this instant!" Miss Darbus shouted; that was when both Troy and Gabriella became aware that the entire class was watching them with interest.

Gabriella removed her arms from Troy's shoulders and he rolled off of her and sat up. Gabriella closed her eyes momentarily and sat up as well. Her waist was still warm from Troy's hands and her breathing was beginning to slow down. She opened her eyes and looked over at Troy who had a small smile playing on his lips. As if he felt his eyes on her, he looked over at her and the smile turned into a full grin. She looked at him questioningly and was stunned to note how cute he looked when he smiled, his blue eyes sparkling, his dirty blonde hair falling into his eyes. Gabriella bit her lip and pushed those thoughts out of her mind.

"You know, that's the second time we've run into each other and ended up on the floor" he said in reply to her look and as Gabriella realized he was right she cracked a grin.

"Except this time you were the one that wasn't paying attention" she informed him as he stood up.

"True" he offered her his hand and Gabriella took it hesitantly.

He helped her up and when she was firmly on her feet, he didn't let go of her hand, like she assumed he would. They had both forgotten that they were being watched curiously by their homeroom. Troy opened his mouth to say something more, when they were interrupted for the second time.

"Mr Bolton, Miss Montez I will see you both in detention" Miss Darbus roared and Gabriella yanked her hand away from Troy's.

Suddenly the silence was broken by sudden protests. The loudest coming from a bushy haired boy that Gabriella remembered seeing Troy with yesterday.

"Miss Darbus, you can't give Troy a detention. We have practice and because Troy is our sta-" Miss Darbus cut him off with a menacing look.

"That is enough Mr Danforth; you can have fifteen minutes as well" she snapped.

"Oh poor Chad, forced to actually work for fifteen minutes" an African-American girl said sarcastically and instantly regretted it when Miss Darbus swooped down on her before Chad could say anything.

"That's fifteen minutes for you too Miss McKessie, will there be anymore comments? Because I will happily put more people on detention, there are plenty of things that I have to get done after school" Miss Darbus yelled and the classroom went dead silent again.

Gabriella stood in shock at what had just erupted. She glanced at Troy who was rubbing the back of his neck embarrassed at the outbursts and that's when Gabriella began to wonder exactly why a simple thing such as him being put on a detention could result in such an outburst. She would definitely have to ask someone about Troy Bolton and why he seemed to get such a reaction from his classmates.

"Mr Bolton, Miss Montez, would you please take your seats!" Miss Darbus yelled turning around to find them still standing.

Gabriella and Troy both jumped and hurried to their respective seats. As soon as she sat down Gabriella sunk so low in her seat, making herself as small as possible. Miss Darbus finally began with the morning announcements and Gabriella rubbed the palm of her hand which was still tingling from when Troy had been holding it. Her eyes drifted and they landed on Troy himself, who was staring straight ahead. For the first time since they had met yesterday Gabriella studied him. She discovered that his face bore planes and curves that she hadn't expected to be there; she noticed how his dirty blonde hair fell into his eyes, she noticed that even though he was being serious he still managed to look cute. Her gaze drifted down and Gabriella could just make out his well defined body, he had to be an athlete of some sort, she decided. She shivered as she remembered that just a few moments earlier he had been on top of her. Gabriella tore her eyes away from Troy and stared at her desk as she realized something else. He had somehow managed to make her forget her predicament; he had managed to pull her thoughts away from the never ending circle of questions that were constantly in her head. What scared her the most, though, was that he had managed to do all that, but at the same time he only knew her name.

Gabriella slammed her locker shut; her mood had changed drastically from this morning. She was now in the worst mood that she could possibly be in and it didn't seem to get through to people that she was tired of being asked the same question over and over again. 'Did Troy Bolton really kiss you?' it seemed to her that gossip spread quicker around this school than a wildfire tore through the bush. Gabriella had heard more than ten revised versions of what had happened that morning, the best one being that she and Troy had walked into the room in the middle of a make out session and that she had tripped and that's how they had ended up on the floor. On the other hand Gabriella had found out some things about Troy Bolton, such as he had the entire school wired, he was the starting center, and captain, for the school Basketball team who were going to the championships in a few weeks and that every girl that went to the school had a crush on him. Gabriella let out a sigh as she headed to English, it was her second last period for the day and it was the one that she had to present an assignment in. It also happened to be one of the classes that she shared with Troy.

She walked into the room and ignored that looks that she was getting from the girls, she determinedly avoided looking at Troy and sat down at the back of the room. It was a safe choice, after all if they wanted to look at her they would need to turn around in their seats and besides Troy was sitting up the front, she would have to worry about him watching her.

"Alright, now that we're all here, Sharpay, it's time we started on the assignments and seeing as I'm such a gentleman the ladies may go first" Mr Hall announced.

The announcement was met with a chorus of groans and he just smiled.

"Sharpay, you can go first" he called and a blonde girl got up the front and slipped a CD into the player.

Gabriella tuned out and thought about the assignment, it had been an easy one. All they had had to do was find a song that seemed to talk about their entire life and explain why they had chosen it. This meant that they had to listen to the lyrics; Gabriella hadn't needed to think about what song she had to choose or why it was a simple choice and the assignment had taken her all of ten minutes to complete. She was snapped out of her thinking when the teacher called her name.

Sighing she stood up and took her CD with her, she opened the player and set it in. Ignoring how the other students perked up, wondering what was about to come blaring from the player.

**_Do you ever feel like breaking down?_**

_**Do you ever feel out of place?**_

_**Like somehow you just don't belong**_

_**And no-one understands you**_

_**Do you ever want to run away?**_

**_Do you look yourself in you room?_**

_**With the radio on turned up so loud**_

_**That no-one hears you screaming**_

_**No you don't know what it's like  
When nothing feels all right  
You don't know what it's like  
To be like me**_

To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like  
Welcome to my life

Do you wanna be somebody else?  
Are you sick of feeling so left out?  
Are you desperate to find something more?  
Before your life is over  
Are you stuck inside a world you hate?  
Are you sick of everyone around?  
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies  
While deep inside you're bleeding

No you don't know what it's like  
When nothing feels all right  
You don't know what it's like  
To be like me

To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like  
Welcome to my life

No one ever lied straight to your face  
And no one ever stabbed you in the back  
You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay  
Everybody always gave you what you wanted  
You never had to work it was always there  
You don't know what it's like, what it's like

To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like (what it's like)

To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like  
Welcome to my life  
Welcome to my life  
Welcome to my life

The class sat in shock as the song finished, Gabriella knew that they had been expecting something totally different from her. She looked at the ground and than looked back up and cast her gaze around the room. Her gaze landed on Troy Bolton and she stood there looking into his blue eyes as the teacher cleared his throat.

"Miss Montez, would you be able to tell us why you choose that song?" Mr Hall asked and Gabriella tore her gaze away from Troy's and looked at him.

"Because you don't know what its like" she replied her voice barely audible.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You don't know what it's like to be kicked when you're down; you don't know what its like to feel completely and utterly lost, to be on the edge of breaking down and living with the knowledge that there's going to be no-one their to save you and you definitely don't know what its like to be hurt" Gabriella said and the bell rang.

Gabriella grabbed her CD and than went back down to her desk and picked up her bag and her books. She walked out of the room without a word to anyone, knowing that none of them knew exactly what to think of her answer. As she walked down the hall she heard her name being called.

"Gabriella, wait" she stopped because she recognized that voice, it belonged to Troy.

"What?" she asked when he was close enough to hear her.

"Why that song?" he replied stopping in front of her and looking down.

"I told the class, you don't know what its like" Gabriella said and than without another word she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving a very intrigued and slightly confused Troy Bolton standing in the middle of the hallway.

As Gabriella walked she knew that he would seek her out again for a straight answer and she wondered. Did she have a straight answer for everything that was happening? Did she know the reason why she was so lost? Was she sure she was in the dark? Gabriella sighed because she knew the answer to all those questions, but she refused to acknowledge them.

**A/N: Finished! This chapter was so hard to start because I was already planning the next one, apart from that I hope you all liked it! And just in case you didn't know the song was 'Welcome to my Life' by Simple Plan. **


	5. Nobody's Home

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any of the related characters. **

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, I hope you all like it! I seem to say that a lot have any of you noticed that? Anyway, enjoy!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 5 **

**NOBODY'S HOME **

Gabriella pushed open the heavy doors that led to the theatre; she had been right when she had decided to label Miss Darbus as theatrical. As it happened she was the school drama teacher and apparently the drama club needed some extra hands at the theatre. This meant that she was going to be spending close to an hour in the theatre, a place she didn't particularly wanted to be, at the current moment Gabriella thought that spending time with her mother would be better than spending time in the place her father loved. How was it that the one class that she chose to be late for, happened to have detentions in the one place her father had only ever been healthy enough to go to? Gabriella seriously considered turning around and walking out but she realized that would only mean spending more time in the theatre than she wanted to. Sighing she placed her bag in on of the seats and headed up to the stage where Miss Darbus stood directing everyone with a flourish. She ignored the looks she got from everyone that had been in her English class.

"Uh Miss Darbus? I'm here" she said interrupting the instructions Miss Darbus was giving the boy who had protested when Troy was put on detention, Gabriella cast her mind around in search of his name and it landed on Chad.

"Ah Miss Montez, welcome to detention" Miss Darbus turned around and Gabriella gave her a strange look, who said things like that? It sounded incredibly evil, when Gabriella knew that it wasn't.

"Um, thanks?" she asked weakly, unsure whether or not Miss Darbus wanted an answer.

Miss Darbus continued as if she hadn't heard her "You will be painting this with Miss McKessie, I want it all done within the hour, the paints are over there" she pointed and Gabriella nodded and than froze, she had to walk past Troy to get the paints, she considered it good fortune that he seemed to be having trouble with the staple gun.

Walking quickly she sped past him; head down, as she did her mind returned to the questions that she had been asking herself ever since _he _had asked why that song and she had given him the only answer that she could think of. You don't know what it's like. How was that even an answer? Should she have said more? Or should she have just kept on walking and pretended that she hadn't heard him? Why did she even care? It wasn't like he was going to purposely seek her out just so he could hear a different answer. Did she have a different answer? Or was that the only one that she could think of? It didn't matter now, she had said what she had said and if he wanted to know more about her than it was up to him to seek her out, because there was absolutely no way that she was going to seek him out. And if she did, what would she say? She couldn't talk to her own mother, how was she going to talk to a complete stranger?

"Miss Montez, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to paint the moon?" Miss Darbus' voice snapped her out of her thoughts and Gabriella knew she went an intense shade of red.

"Sorry" she mumbled and headed over to the moon head down, as she walked past where Troy was working her head came up and she looked at him in time to see the curious expression on his face.

Gabriella worked silently with the African-American girl who had said the sarcastic comment about Chad. She didn't know if she should break the silence or not, as she stood painting aimlessly, the girl broke the silence.

"Are you Gabriella Montez?" she asked curiously.

Gabriella looked up at her and than nodded slowly, hoping she would get asked the same question she had been asked all day or anything about the song. It seemed that those things didn't matter to the girl as Gabriella watched her face light up.

"As in _the_ Gabriella Montez? The girl that led her scholastic decathlon team to victory four years in a row?" she asked excitedly and Gabriella went pale.

"How do you know that?" she asked hoping this conversation was going to lead where she thought it was going.

"I know some people on your old team" and Gabriella, if possible went even paler, surely this girl didn't know why she moved.

"Anyway, I'm the head of the team here and I was wondering; would you be at all willing to join our team? It would seriously boost our performance; Kyle sent me some of the questions that you answered and half of them I don't understand, I'm Taylor by the way" the girl said it all so fast that Gabriella felt her head spin and she blinked a couple of times to clear her head.

"Uh, did Kyle tell you why I moved?" she asked hoping desperately that her ex had kept his mouth shut about why she had moved and why she had broken up with him.

"Um no, but that's beside the point, would it be at all possible for you to come for a practice session at least?" Taylor asked pleadingly, Gabriella was vaguely reminded of her mother and that was what caused her to speak without thinking.

"I'd have to think about joining, but I will come to a session" she replied and Taylor clapped her hands in excitement and she reminded Gabriella of a child at Christmas.

"That's brilliant! Thank you so much! I have to go, so I'll talk to you tomorrow" Taylor bounced away before Gabriella could comprehend exactly what had happened.

Gabriella sighed as she continued to paint the moon, which found rather odd, mainly because it had a face and last time she'd checked not even kindergarteners painted faces on their moons. But she could be wrong. Gabriella sighed again as she realized that she had just been pulled into doing something that she didn't particularly wanted to do. All because Taylor had reminded her of her mother, Gabriella knew she had agreed because she wouldn't have been able to handle hurting someone else, even if she barely knew them.

"You know you've painted the exact same spot around fifteen times" Troy's voice cause Gabriella to snap out of her thoughts and she stared at him.

"Huh? Why are you here? I thought you were stapling leaves" she blurted out and he grinned, Gabriella felt her stomach flip and looked back down at the spot that he had been talking about. She blushed when she realized he was right.

"I finished stapling the tree, Miss Darbus wanted me to look after the camel but I think that the Drama Club can take care of that one" he informed her conversationally and Gabriella looked back up at him, to discover that his blue eyes were twinkling.

"What's wrong with looking after the camel?" she asked and he nodded towards it.

Gabriella turned around and for the first time in four months, burst into laughter. The camel looked ridiculous. It was covered from head to toe in materials Gabriella had never thought existed, in fact it didn't even resemble a camel just a great big lump of ribbons.

"Miss Montez, Mr Bolton, as much as I can tell you two are enjoying each others company, the sad fact remains that I have to leave. Some emergency with your father Mr Bolton, which means that you two have to leave" Miss Darbus said as Gabriella calmed down.

"Okay" Troy said and Miss Darbus walked away as Gabriella realized that she had to go home to her mother, the smile vanished from her face and it was replaced with a sad look as she remembered that her mother wasn't talking to her.

"So, are you walking home?" Troy asked as he jumped off the stage.

Gabriella walked down the stairs that were the proper way to get on and off the stage and nodded.

"And you don't look happy because? We just got off detention, like half an hour before we were meant to and you look like you'd rather be watching Miss Darbus launch into one of her lectures" he said and Gabriella didn't reply she just walked past him and picked up her bag.

"I'll see you tomorrow Troy" she said in a dead voice.

Gabriella walked out of the theatre her mind completely blank, she felt like she had betrayed her father somehow by laughing. But how did that work? She hadn't exactly felt the happiness that came with laughing like that, but still she had laughed. Her father had always been the only that had made her laugh and it had been one of his special traits that he had been so proud of. Gabriella knew she had barely smiled since what had happened and here she was with a boy she barely knew and he had her laughing. If that wasn't betrayal than she didn't know what was, but why Troy? Why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be someone she didn't know? Why couldn't it be someone she knew well? Why did it have to be Troy Bolton, most popular guy at East High and the only person who had been nice to her since she had arrived? She'd known him for two days, not even that and she barely knew him.

"Gabriella! Wait up" she heard him call but she kept on walking, she didn't know if she wanted to talk to him, she didn't know if she wanted to ignore how she really felt, or didn't feel. But, what if she stopped and talked to him? Would he be able to cause the constant circles of questions in her head to stop again?

"Gabriella!" he called again and Gabriella took a deep breath and stopped.

"Yeah?" she asked turning around and waiting him for to catch up to her.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked with a grin and Gabriella cocked her head to one side as if pretending to think about it, almost instantly the questions had stopped and Gabriella had forgotten all about her thoughts of betrayal.

"Well, only if you insist upon it" she replied and he nodded.

They began to walk in silence, Gabriella staring straight ahead and Troy glancing at her every now and than. Gabriella didn't know what to say or do, so she just kept on walking. She had no idea how to break the silence, even though she felt completely at ease around him talking would just be way too hard.

"So you never really answered my question" Troy broke the silence and Gabriella glanced at him, they were outside now and it was still fairly sunny.

"Which question?" Gabriella asked biting her lip even though he had only asked her one question.

"What's your favorite colour?" Troy replied with a smirk and Gabriella let out a breath.

"Blue, you?" she said.

"Uh-huh, green for me, what about movie?" Gabriella went red.

"Oh come off it, it can't be that bad" he exclaimed when he saw her blush.

"It's not, but Troy Bolton star playmaker of East High would probably think that the movie is lame" she said and his grin faded slightly at her words.

"What?" Gabriella asked seeing the slight fade in his smile.

"Nothing, so tell me about this movie" he asked shaking it off and Gabriella shrugged and let it go.

"Um, I have to answer this don't I?" she asked and he nodded.

"Yep and than I'll tell you mine" he grinned and Gabriella couldn't help but smile.

"The Lion King" she told him wincing slightly at how childish it sounded, it was true to she and her dad used to watch it all the time, she hadn't watched it in ages, it had been the movie she was going to watch that night. Don't go their Gabriella, she told herself firmly and she pushed away the thoughts and turned her attention back to Troy.

"Whoa, that one, I could lie and tell you mine is something like 'The Bourne Identity' but I have to admit Disney movies do something for me, I happen to like Peter Pan. But don't tell anyone that, not even Chad knows" Troy said with a grin as Gabriella cracked up again.

"I thought I was bad, so when someone asks you that question what do you say?" Gabriella asked curiously as she recovered.

"I might tell you a different movie every time" he replied and Gabriella shook her head grinning.

"That's sad, I normally avoid the question" she said as they came to her house.

Gabriella stopped and Troy turned to face her. He grinned at her and Gabriella smiled back.

"Well, you never actually answered my question did you?" he asked turning serious and Gabriella sighed her smile disappearing.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Troy" she replied as she landed back in her reality, it didn't matter that he was standing there the questions had started again, but there was something different about her reality. Some of the pieces that had littered her life, the ones that Gabriella hadn't thought she could pick up, had slowly joined back to together; well some of them and Gabriella didn't know how.

"See you" he replied as she slowly walked up the pathway.

Gabriella shut the door and closed her eyes and leaned against it. Something was happening to her and it had to do with Troy and the way he managed to make her forget her past and her questions, her memories. How could he do that? It was something that she thought no-one could and he had accomplished the feat. And yet he had no idea why she was the way she was. He didn't know why she had chosen that song. Gabriella climbed the stairs tiredly and her thoughts kept on going in circles. All leading back to the same question how? Why was it that question and not why? Was it because they were new questions and about a totally different person? Gabriella sighed and opened the door to her room. She walked in and turned on her stereo.

_**I couldn't tell you why she felt that way**_

_**She felt it every day**_

_**And I couldn't help her **_

_**I just watched her make the same mistakes again**_

_**What's wrong what's wrong now?**_

_**Too many too many problems**_

**_Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs_**

**_She wants to go home but nobody's home_**

**_It's where she lies broken inside_**

**_With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes_**

_**Broken inside**_

_**Open your eyes and find the reason why**_

_**You've been rejected and now you can't find what you left behind**_

_**Be strong be strong now**_

_**Too many too many problems **_

**_Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs_**

_**She wants to go home but nobody's home**_

_**It's where she lies broken inside**_

_**With no place to go, no place to go to dry hey eyes**_

_**Broken inside**_

_**Her feelings she hides**_

_**Her dreams she can't find**_

_**She's losing her mind**_

_**She fallen behind**_

_**She can't find her place**_

_**She's losing her faith**_

_**She's fallen from grace**_

_**She's all over the place**_

_**Yeah **_

_**She wants to go home but nobody's home**_

_**It's where she lies broken inside**_

_**With no place to go to, no place to go to dry her eyes**_

_**Broken inside**_

_**She's lost inside, lost inside oh….oh**_

**_She's lost inside, lost inside oh…oh yeah _**

Gabriella stood still as the song faded into the background. Was she still broken inside? Two days ago Gabriella would have said to herself that she was broken, her life shattered into a million pieces. She would have said that there was nobody home, because two days ago that was true. She would have said that she was all over the place; she would have said she was numb. But that was before she had met Troy Bolton. It was before two of the million pieces found their way back to each other. Gabriella knew that she still had those questions to answer and she knew that she still had to protect her mother and she knew that she still had to deal with picking up the rest of the pieces. But something was happening to her, something that Troy was contributing to; Gabriella hadn't realized what it was up until a few moments before. She was thawing.

**A/N: Finis! Well that chapter is done anyway! I still have a long way to go before it finishes. But I'm not sure I like this chapter, Gabriella's thawing, but there was a lot of talking going on or so I thought anyway if you guys like it than I'm happy! I'll update soon! **


	6. Candle In The Wind

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters. **

**A/N: And here is the next chapter! **

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 6 **

**CANDLE IN THE WIND**

Gabriella stared at the roof. She was in her room and lying on the floor. It was something she did when she had time. Her stereo was on and it was playing soft piano music that she used to relax. And Gabriella needed to relax. Her mind was still reeling from the knowledge that somehow, against all odds, she was thawing. The numbness that she had experienced for the past four months, sixteen days, eight hours, fifteen minutes and thirty-six seconds, was receding. The ice that had surrounded her heart and imprisoned the emotions was melting, slowly, but surely. But what was worse was that Gabriella wasn't sure that she wanted to thaw. In truth, it frightened her to know that she would be able to feel properly again. It frightened her that she would have to confront the pain that she had been shielded from, the pain that she had watched her mother go through. Gabriella winced as she thought about her mother; Carmen still wasn't able to talk to her daughter. She could barely look at her and that was added pain, Gabriella knew that when she had said those words that she had been doing the right thing. She had been protecting her mother. But now, now that she was thawing? Gabriella wasn't as sure of herself; it felt like she was being reborn again. She had to deal with new feelings, even if they felt familiar. Sighing Gabriella rolled over onto her stomach as a new song came on, she furrowed her brow, she didn't remember this song being on their.

_**Goodbye Norma Jean**_

_**Though I never knew you at all**_

_**You had the grace to hold yourself**_

_**While those around you crawled**_

_**They crawled out of the woodwork**_

_**And they whispered into your brain**_

_**They set you on the treadmill**_

_**And they made you change your name**_

_**And it seems to me you lived your life**_

_**Like a candle in the wind**_

_**Never knowing who to cling to**_

_**When the rain set in**_

_**And I would have liked to known you**_

_**But I was just a kid**_

**_You candle burned out long before_**

_**You legend ever did**_

_**Loneliness was tough**_

_**The toughest role you ever played**_

_**Hollywood created a superstar **_

_**And pain was the price you paid**_

_**Even when you died**_

_**Oh the press still hounded you**_

_**All the papers had to say**_

_**Was that Marilyn was found in the nude**_

_**And it seems to me you lived your life**_

_**Like a candle in the wind**_

_**Never knowing who to cling to**_

_**When the rain set in**_

_**And I would have liked to known you**_

_**But I was just a kid**_

_**Your candle burnt out long before**_

_**Your legend ever did**_

_**Goodbye Norma Jean**_

_**Though I never knew you at all**_

_**You had the grace to hold yourself **_

_**While those around you crawled**_

_**Goodbye Norma Jean**_

**_From the young man in the 22nd row_**

_**Who sees you as something more than sexual**_

_**More than just our Marilyn Monroe**_

_**And it seems to me you lived your life**_

_**Like a candle in the wind**_

_**Never knowing who to cling to **_

_**When the rain set in**_

_**And I would have liked to known you**_

_**But I was just a kid**_

_**Your candle burnt out long before**_

_**Your legend ever did**_

_**Your candle burnt out long before**_

_**Your legend ever did**_

The song finished and Gabriella sat up, wondering how on earth that song had gotten on the CD. It didn't make any sense to her. No-one in her family had ever liked Elton John, they had never bought any of his albums that she knew of. But still the song hit home with her, bringing out a question that she knew she couldn't answer. Who was she going to cling to when the rain set in? Gabriella knew she wasn't a Hollywood superstar, but still she didn't exactly lead the perfect life. She had always held onto her dad when something bad had happened and now, well, he wasn't around. And it left her all alone. A feeling of loneliness washed over Gabriella as she realized that. And that's when it hit her, she had heard this song before. But not on the radio, it had come from her parent's room a few weeks after her family had been given the horrible news.

_Flashback_

"_Your candle burnt out long before you legend ever did"_

_Gabriella frowned, where was that song coming from? They didn't own a CD that had that song on it, Gabriella was sure of that and what a sad song. Who would play that when they had just received the worst news of their lives? Slowly she walked up to her parent's room, the door was half open. Gabriella peeked into the room and almost gasped. Her father was sitting on the bed and staring out the window, watching as the rain fell. But what Gabriella was gasping at was his shoulders, they were shaking and it took her a moment to realize that he was crying. Gabriella had never seen her father like that, she had never seen him cry. It just wasn't what he did, he was the strong one, the one who always looked on the bright side._

"_My candle's burning out" Carlos said and Gabriella felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks. _

_Quickly she backed away from the door and ran in the opposite direction. This was really happening, he really was going to leave. _

_Finish_

Gabriella quickly pushed the memory to the back of her mind, she didn't need to do that now. She didn't need to go into memory mode, she didn't need to feel fragile. She didn't need to cry. What she needed to do was get to school and concentrate on her work. Gabriella stood up and stretched. She didn't look at the time, she knew that she had to leave about now so that she got to school on time. Picking up her bag she opened the door and walked out of her room, with one sidelong glance at the photo of her parents on her bedside table.

Gabriella stared blankly at the blackboard, Taylor sitting beside her chattering away happily. As hard as Gabriella was trying to listen she couldn't, her mind was replaying the tune from the song she had heard over and over again. It was driving her mad. She didn't even _like_ the song and now it was the only thing that she seemed to hear. Her mind drifted and she smiled slightly as she remembered seeing Troy that morning. They hadn't spoken, but they had exchanged a smile when he had walked into homeroom that morning. For a moment, Gabriella had felt protected and safe and it had only taken a smile from him to do that. _How_ could he do that? He only knew three things about her, but still she felt more comfortable and safe around him than she did when she was sitting in her own home. His mere presence seemed to make everything seem okay. How did that work? She'd known him for _two _days. And out of those two days she had only had a proper conversation with him once and that was because he'd insisted on walking her home. Gabriella let out a groan and her forehead hit the table. Why did life have to be so confusing? Why did everything have to happen to her? And why did Troy Bolton have to force his way into her thoughts when he was the last person on earth that she wanted to talk to again? Gabriella sighed again as she realized that that wasn't strictly true, maybe a tiny part of her wanted to talk to him again. But what would she say? Would he ask her about that song again? Gabriella was jolted out of her thoughts by the bell, with the rest of her classmates she gathered her books and filed out of the room. Looking down she discovered that she had picked up the wrong book for her next class.

"I have to go back to my locker, Taylor, I'll see you later okay?" Gabriella said interrupting Taylor's lecture on Global Warming.

"Oh, okay, I'll see you" she said blinking as Gabriella walked off.

As Gabriella walked she wondered exactly what she was feeling, she knew that she was thawing but at the same time she didn't feel any real emotion. Unless you counted feeling fragile and completely vulnerable. Gabriella sighed as she came to a halt in front of her locker and stared at it. Vulnerability was something that she had felt before, she just didn't know what her weakness was and, really, Gabriella wasn't too keen on discovering it. But she didn't have a weakness to show these people did she? They didn't know what had happened to her, they didn't know who she had been, they didn't know her most embarrassing moments, how could they hurt her? Gabriella closed her eyes and rested her head on the cool surface of her locker, they _could_ hurt her. Maybe her weakness wasn't what she thought it was, maybe it didn't matter if they knew her past or not, maybe she should be more worried about what they could say about her. Gabriella had learnt how quickly rumors spread in this school and she knew that if she set one foot wrong ten different versions of what she had done would be circling the school with half an hour of her doing it. Without knowing her past the kids at this school could formulate anything they wanted to believe about her, which could be her weakness. Gabriella wanted to hit something in frustration. She could stand being vulnerable but the fragility mixed with that? She could barely stand. She hated feeling fragile, she hated knowing that no matter what she did anything could break her. She hated thawing. All these new, but old, emotions swirled around her as she became fully aware of how she really felt.

With shaking hands, Gabriella spun the dial that opened her locker and yanked open the door. She placed the book in and reached for the right one, when her eyes landed on her phone which was lying in her locker face up. Her breath quickened and Gabriella felt tears begin to form. It was 11:15.

_Flashback_

"_Gabriella? Come here" Carmen said her voice shaking slightly as her only daughter turned to her. _

_Gabriella turned around, her back to the window and the sunshine pouring into the waiting room. She didn't move closer to her mother, instead she stood there and hugged herself. Her brown eyes never betraying how scared she felt……or how fragile. Gabriella knew what was coming. _

"_What?" she asked her voice soft and determined. She knew that she needed to hear this. _

_She watched as her mother composed herself, she wanted to scream 'Get it over with!' but at the same time she wanted to wake up. She wanted to wake up from the horrible nightmare that was about to become her reality. _

"_At 11:15, peacefully and gracefully, you father past on" her mother's voice was barely a whisper, but to Gabriella it was like she had screamed it at her. _

_In front of her eyes Gabriella watched as her life shattered, like glass. She watched as the doctor offered her condolences to her mother, she watched as her mother shed the first tears since the night before. She didn't move, she did shed the tears that always seemed to be there. She just froze on the inside and on the outside. She stood there all alone and allowed her world to fall apart in front of her. _

_Finish_

Gabriella stood there unmoving as the first _real_ tears since coming here began to slide down her face. They were her first real tears in four months, they were real because Gabriella felt the pain explode inside of her. She felt it wash over her taking complete control, it ran through her veins, it ran just below her skin. It squeezed at her heart, causing unbearable pain. Pain Gabriella couldn't even comprehend, it held everything and nothing at all. She felt as though her soul had given in beneath her, she was falling and she was thawing at the same time.

"Hey Gabriella" a voice said.

Gabriella didn't know what to do, she turned to him, knowing that she would completely break down when she saw his blue eyes. This wasn't fair, why did this have to happen here? Why did he have to walk up when it did?

"H-hi Troy" she whispered and met his eyes, which instantly changed from happy to concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked stepping closer to her.

Wordlessly Gabriella shook her head, it was beyond her control. She could have just nodded and walked away, but she couldn't something stopped her. Something so powerful that Gabriella didn't even want to try and defy it. Deep inside, Gabriella knew that that power was her heart taking over from her head for once.

"What's wrong?" he asked and again Gabriella couldn't reply, more tears spilt down her face and Gabriella let out a sob.

"Okay, come on" Troy gently took her books from her and placed them in her locker, he then shut the door and took her hand.

Expertly he weaved in and out of the crowd or students that were eyeing them curiously. Gabriella barely noticed, tears blurred her vision and she just wanted to let go. She just wanted to cry. Gabriella didn't notice him lead her through a door, she only faintly noticed the fresh air that slapped her face as he led her up stairs. Eventually her stopped and than turned to her.

"Okay, can you tell me what's wrong now?" Troy asked worriedly and Gabriella met his caring blue eyes before breaking down completely.

She stood there sobbing as she felt his arms tentatively wrap around her. She sobbed into his chest and than, too her horror, Gabriella felt her legs give way. She couldn't stand up, she just couldn't. Slowly they sank to the floor, Troy's grip tightening on her ever so slightly as her ting frame shook from head to foot in his arms. Gabriella clung to him as if her life depended on it, she had never felt so vulnerable, she had never felt so fragile, she had never felt so scared in all her life and strangely she had never felt so safe. He let her cry, he didn't say anything, he didn't try and force her to talk, he just let her cry and Gabriella had never had someone do that before. If it had been her mother, she would have been repeating the question 'What's wrong?' over and over again. Her friends would have tried to cheer her up, anyone would have tried to get her to talk and Troy didn't. He just let her cry.

After almost thirty minutes of crying, completely lost in nothing but her own pain Gabriella's sobs subsided and her shaking stopped. Troy rubbed her back gently as she pulled away from him. She tried to smile at him and than noticed his incredibly wet shirt.

"Um, sorry about that" she muttered looking away from his questioning blue eyes.

"It's okay. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked, Gabriella looked at him and the whole story came spilling from her mouth.

She found herself describing it in intricate detail, every feeling she had had, every thought that had went through her mind, everything and he listened. Properly. Troy didn't interrupt he just let her talk, the same way he had let her cry and he still held her. Rubbing her back softly whenever she stumbled, the way her father used to. Gabriella had never felt so safe or connected with anyone before. He was a complete stranger to her but she trusted him inexplicably. As she spoke Gabriella felt the pieces that had still been littering her life connect, not solidly but definitely connect.

"Wow" was the first thing he said when she had finished.

"Wow?" Gabriella repeated incredulously.

"Yeah wow" he agreed and Gabriella looked at him, with raised eyebrows.

"Gabriella, you have spent the last four months trying to attempt to come to terms with something that no-one in this school will ever have to deal with until later in life, do you know how amazing that makes you?" Troy asked watching her closely.

"Troy, it doesn't make me amazing, it just makes me………" Gabriella trailed off.

"Amazing" he finished and she tilted her head to one side.

"No it just makes me……different" she argued and he shook his head.

Gabriella bit her lip and she knew he'd given up trying to convince her. She didn't know where that left her. He was the first person who had actually said something like that to her and meant it. He didn't know her but at the same time Gabriella felt as if he had known her for a lot longer than anyone who _had_ known her for that long. They sat in silence for a few moments before Troy spoke.

"So what was you dad like?" he asked curiously.

Gabriella thought about it and her mind drifted back to the song that she had played earlier.

"A candle in the wind" she replied with a small smile.

**A/N: I like this chapter, it concentrates a lot on Troy and Gabriella. Oh and the song was 'Candle In The Wind' by Elton John, I'll try and update soon!**


	7. Savin' Me

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters. **

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! I really hope you all liked the last one; I know it's pretty sad but that's what happens, I should know. Anyway, enjoy this one, cause it might get a little bit sad soon. **

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 7**

**SAVIN' ME **

Gabriella peeked into the gym, searching for Troy. It wasn't that hard to spot him, he was the only one in the gym. She smiled a little bit and walked in hesitantly. She hadn't spoken to Troy since she had broken down on him that morning; still she felt that she needed to talk to him. But, was he going to want to talk to her? What if he thought she was weird? It wasn't every day that someone broke down in front of you, but than again it wasn't every day that someone actually cared enough to take the person to a safe place so that they could compose themselves. Gabriella barely noticed that she had almost reached Troy, until she heard the basketball bounce on the hard wooden floor. She jumped and smiled at him weakly as he turned to discover her standing there.

"Hey" she said softly, unsure whether the shocked look on his face meant that he was happy to see her or not.

"Hi" he replied with a smile and Gabriella relaxed.

She stood in silence for a moment and watched as he took another shot at basket, she admired how he seemed to make what he was doing look so easy. She knew that he probably was barely trying; her father had been the same natural athlete.

"So, are you okay now?" Troy asked snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah, about that, I kind of came to apologize-" he cut her off.

"You don't need to, it's fine" he told her smiling softly, Gabriella felt her stomach flip at his smile. How could he make that happen? No-one had ever been able to do that to her.

"It's just that I'm not usually like that, I don't break down like that. I can usually compose myself and get on with the day but……" Gabriella trailed off; she didn't know if she could tell him the rest, she didn't know if she could tell him he was one of the reasons that she hadn't been able to compose herself, she didn't know if she could tell him that he was the reason that she was thawing.

"But?" he questioned taking another shot.

"Um, today was different?" she tried weakly and he turned to look at her, Gabriella bit her lip as his bright blue eyes bore into her brown ones.

"You're a very bad liar Gabriella" he commented and broke the hypnotizing gaze.

Gabriella froze, how could he tell? Was she really that transparent? He'd only known her for three days, he'd only just met her and he could see straight through her. How did that work? It couldn't, could it? How could he just read her like that? Her own mother couldn't and he could, that _didn't_ work, at least it shouldn't be like that.

"How do you know I'm lying?" she asked and than wanted to kick herself. Smart Gabriella, you just told him you were lying, she thought as he glanced at her.

"Because you just told me" Troy replied with a smug grin and Gabriella wanted to groan.

She didn't, instead she stood and watched as he did a lay-up, she kept on trying to think of something to say to him and every time she opened her mouth nothing came out. Gabriella sighed and closed her eyes, wondering if there was anything that she could say to him. What do you talk about when there's nothing left to say? But, what if there was? Maybe she just didn't know what had been left unsaid.

"Are you okay?" Troy's worried voice broke into her thoughts and Gabriella opened her eyes.

She jumped back as she realized how close they were to each other and than blushed when he gave her a strange look. She looked down at the floor and than up again to meet his devastatingly blue eyes.

"I……don't know, Troy" she replied quietly and than looked away from him, she had never felt so……forced. She felt as if he was forcing the truth out of her, Gabriella couldn't see a way out, she wanted a way out and she just didn't have one.

"Gabriella, how can you not know how you feel?" he asked and she stared at him; he sounded so practical, like he knew that you could always know how you feel and Gabriella wished she was that sure. She wished that she could have the confidence to say something like that.

"I just don't! There is no word to describe how I feel; it's like pain and sadness and safety and who knows what else mixed into one swirling vortex of emotion and I'm caught in the middle of it, how do you describe something like that, Troy?" she snapped at him and than looked at the ground, her eyes burning with tears, this wasn't fair. How could one boy manage to get the truth out of her, even when it was probably the thing she guarded the best?

Gabriella felt a single tear slide down her cheek and she looked at the ground, why had she come here? She should have just let it be and waited for him to come to her. Gabriella felt another tear slide down her cheek and she wished that he didn't get this reaction from her, how could he get this reaction from her? Her own mother had been desperately trying to get something like this from her for months and Gabriella had resisted every attempt, every tear her mother had shed trying to get her to talk, every sad comment, every time her mother had said something to a friend that she had overheard. Everything. And all it had taken was one boy and her defenses had crumbled. One boy and her numbness had begun to recede, one boy and the entire story had come out in detail, one boy who did something to her that Gabriella couldn't explain, one boy and she was falling towards him. Another tear fell and Gabriella lifted her arm to wipe them away only to discover that's Troy's hand was already there, wiping away her tears with his thumb. Gabriella looked up at him in astonishment as another tear fell; again he caught it with his thumb. Gabriella swallowed hard.

"You can't, Gabriella, you can't describe something like" he told her softly and Gabriella let out a sob and he pulled her too him, Gabriella buried her head in his chest again as she cried.

She wished that she wasn't doing this; she wished she had control over what was happening to her, over anything. She held onto to Troy because at the moment he seemed to be the only constant thing in her life, her life that had seemed to begun again three days ago when she had run into him.

"It's so hard" she choked out as more tears fell down her face in a now well worn path. Troy didn't reply he just rested his chin on the top of her head and tightened his grip slightly.

"Troy?" a shocked voice asked and they both jumped.

"Gabriella?" another voice asked at the same time.

Gabrielle pulled away from Troy in horror at being caught crying. Quickly she wiped her tears away and looked around to see who had spoken, her eyes landed on Taylor and Chad who were standing in the doorway with shocked expressions. Gabriella glanced down to discover that Troy's arm was still around her waist, she began to blush.

"What are you guys doing?" Chad asked with raised eyebrows and Taylor folded her arms with a scowl.

"Um, well you see, wait what are you guys doing here?" Troy shot back and Gabriella stepped away from Troy even more, his arm slipped from her waist and Gabriella felt a strange emptiness when his arm slipped away fully, she hugged herself to make up for it but found that it wasn't the same.

"Gabriella? Are you going to join in this conversation anytime soon?" Taylor asked sarcastically.

Gabriella turned her big brown eyes to Taylor who recoiled at the redness of them and the sadness in them.

"Sorry, what were you talking about?" she asked quietly looking at the ground and Chad and Troy stopped arguing to look at her, Chad weirdly and Troy worriedly.

"Gabriella?" Troy said and she looked at the ground.

Gabriella bit her lip and than looked back up. "Yeah?" she replied.

"Gabriella, we have to get to practice" Taylor jumped in before Troy could say anything.

"Okay, I'll see you later Troy" she said turning to him and wishing she could say more to him without breaking down.

"Yeah, we'll talk later" he nodded at her and Gabriella looked up at him with a questioning look.

"There were a lot of things left unsaid" Troy said and Taylor pulled Gabriella out of the gym before she could respond to Troy's words.

Gabriella kept on glancing back at the gym as Taylor dragged her to the science lab. What had been left unsaid? Did he know what she had wanted to say? Did he want to hear what she had to say? Gabriella shivered as she remembered how she had felt in his arms. She had felt so safe and protected, like everything was going to be okay.

"Gabriella, before we go in I have a question to ask you" Taylor and Gabriella stopped outside the science lab and Gabriella looked at her curiously.

"Go ahead" Gabriella said hugging herself again; she could still feel Troy's arms around her.

"Okay, I know I've only known you for like a day, but why were you hanging out with Troy Bolton and hugging him? Because you do know that Troy is a lunk-headed basketball player, right?" Taylor asked and Gabriella raised her eyebrows.

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

"He's a jock, doesn't that explain everything?" Taylor replied and Gabriella shook her head.

"Taylor, why are you saying this?" Gabriella said curiously.

"Because your paths shouldn't cross, ask anyone! You're the new girl and he's the popular guy, besides your smart, you guys shouldn't have been hanging out" she explained and Gabriella shook her head again.

"Look, Taylor, maybe there's more to Troy Bolton than meets the eye" Gabriella said and Taylor let out a disbelieving laugh.

"When I see something more, I'll believe that hell has frozen over" she replied and Gabriella gave up. She knew that Taylor wasn't going to believe her, Gabriella wasn't even sure that Gabriella believed herself. Still there was something different about Troy; Gabriella didn't know what was different, he just wasn't like any of the other jocks that she had met.

Taylor looked at the girl standing in front of her hugging herself and wondered why she had chosen _Troy Bolton_, of all people, to be caught with. Anyone else and Taylor would have been fine with it, but Troy Bolton most popular guy at East High? Would never waste his time on the new girl, Taylor had been in the same classes as Troy since grade four and he had always been the popular boy who had been living in his privileged, basketball orientated world, never once giving the outside world a second glance or a new student. Taylor liked Gabriella and she didn't see how Gabriella fitted into that world, the only thing that seemed to were the cheerleaders and even they only just fitted in. It was only a matter of time before Gabriella was pushed to one side and Troy hurt her.

"Look, Gabriella, I just don't want you to get hurt by the jocks that's why I asked" Taylor spoke without thinking and Gabriella stared at her.

"It's okay Taylor, thank you for looking out for me" Gabriella replied and Taylor shrugged and walked into the lab, if Gabriella wasn't going to listen to her than she couldn't do anything but be there for her when the time came.

Gabriella stood, leaning against her balcony railing, gazing at the twinkling stars; her mind replaying the days events. Gabriella sighed as she thought about Troy and his strange, yet appealing effect on her. How did one boy manage to make her forget her questions? How did one boy manage to break down all her defenses with one look? How could he make her feel so safe with one smile? What was she _doing_? What was he doing to her? Gabriella knew what she was doing; she was falling and thawing at the same time, but she didn't know what Troy was doing. Was she meant to? _What_ _was he doing to her_? Gabriella groaned in frustration as a new song came blaring from her stereo.

_**Prison gates won't open up for me**_

_**On these hands and knees I'm crawling**_

_**Oh, I reach for**_

_**I'm terrified of these fall walls**_

_**These iron bars can't hold my soul in**_

_**All I need is you**_

_**Come please I'm calling**_

_**And oh I scream for you**_

_**Hurry I'm falling**_

_**I'm falling**_

_**Show me what it's like**_

_**To be the last one standing**_

_**And teach me wrong from right**_

_**And I'll show you what I can be**_

_**And say it for me**_

_**Say it to me**_

_**And I'll leave this life behind me**_

_**Say it if it's worth savin' me**_

_**Heaven's gates won't open up for me**_

_**With these broken wings I'm falling**_

_**And all I see is you**_

_**These city walls ain't got no love for me**_

_**I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story **_

_**Come please I'm calling**_

_**And all I need is you**_

_**Hurry I'm falling**_

_**I'm falling**_

_**Show me what it's like**_

_**To be the last one standing**_

_**And teach me wrong from right**_

_**And I'll show you what I can be**_

_**And say it for me**_

_**Say it to me**_

_**And I'll leave this life behind me**_

_**Say it if it's worth savin' me**_

_**Yeah, yeah hey**_

_**And all I need is you**_

_**Come please I'm calling**_

_**And oh I scream for you**_

_**Hurry I'm falling**_

_**I'm falling**_

_**I'm falling**_

_**I'm falling**_

_**Show me what it's like**_

_**To be the last one standing**_

_**And teach me wrong from right**_

_**And I'll show you what I can be**_

_**And it for me**_

_**Say it to me**_

_**And I'll leave this life behind me**_

_**Say it if it's worth savin' me **_

_**Hurry I'm falling**_

_**And say it for me**_

_**Say it to me**_

_**And I'll leave this life behind me**_

_**Say it if it's worth savin' me**_

Gabriella stood frozen as the song finished. Was that what Troy was doing? She had been yelling for someone to come and help her. While she had been numb she had been trapped as well by something that was like iron bars and she couldn't go anywhere, not even on her hands and knees. But now she was thawing, and that meant that she was falling from something that was close to something like an eighteenth story ledge. She needed someone to teach her wrong from right now, she needed someone to show her what it was like to be the last one standing, she needed someone to because she had forgotten what it was like to feel like that. Gabriella needed someone to save her and she wondered, was that what Troy was doing? Was he the one she was screaming for? Was he the one to teach her? Gabriella bit her lip. Was he saving her? Gabriella looked up at the night sky and closed her eyes. She remembered how she had felt in his arms, so safe and protected; his arms seemed to make everything okay. She remembered thinking that he was the one she was falling towards. Gabriella's eyes snapped open, she'd known him for three days and she knew that he was the one saving her. But her thoughts posed a different question, was the falling towards him or was she falling _for_ him?

**A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner, but our internet kept crashing and restarting again and we had to get it fixed. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! I know Carmen hasn't been featuring much in the last two but I wanted to concentrate on Gabriella's feelings towards Troy, but I promise Carmen will feature next chapter. I'll update soon! **


	8. Perfect World

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: Okay, here is the next chapter and just read it with an open mind, please. So here it is!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 8**

**PERFECT WORLD**

Gabriella hugged her books to her chest as she made her way to her locker. It had been almost a week since she had broken down on Troy, but to Gabriella it had felt like a year. Slowly her life had built up again. The shattered pieces that had littered her life now seemed to be connected solidly; her entire life had seemed to take on some normality. And it was all due to one boy; Gabriella felt a small smile play on her lips as she thought about Troy. Her entire life had changed the second she had run into him, he had helped her rebuild her life; he had forced her to come to terms with what had happened. He had silenced the constant questions in her head and he had restored some peace into her life. The only thing that he hadn't done was answer her question, he hadn't answered why it had happened to her and as Gabriella thought about it she realized she had never actually mentioned the question to him. Frowning, she stopped in front of her locker and wondered why she had never mentioned it to him. Gabriella trusted Troy more than she trusted anyone else and she wasn't just saying that. He was the only one, besides her father, who she had allowed all the way in. He was the only one that could read her like an open book and it had only taken him a week to be able to do that. Gabriella spun the dial on her locker and opened it, she placed her books in and stood there, frowning, as her thoughts drifted to the question she had thought about a week ago. Was she falling towards Troy or was she falling for him? Gabriella still didn't know. What she did know that all he had to do was smile and she felt safe and butterflies that hadn't been there before erupted in her stomach. One look from him could make her smile, one word and she felt like nothing wrong was ever going to happen again. Shivers ran up and down her spine when she thought about his arms around her, electricity ran through her veins when he _did _touch her and long after he had touched her she could still feel his hand where ever it had been. Gabriella shivered as she thought about his effect on her and than jumped when she heard his voice.

"Hey" Gabriella turned to face him and he grinned at her frowning face, almost immediately the butterflies erupted.

"Hey, aren't you meant to be somewhere? The gym perhaps?" she asked teasingly, smiling at him and forgetting her thoughts. His smile turned into a frown.

"Don't remind me, you know how much I don't want to be 'basketball guy' right now" he replied running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah" she sighed and he looked at her worriedly.

"Are you okay?" Gabriella looked up into Troy's clear blue eyes and cocked her head to one side.

"No, mom still isn't talking to me" she replied with a sad smile.

"Have you apologized?" Troy asked and Gabriella hugged herself.

"It's not that simple Troy, if it was she would be talking to me! But what I said to her, I don't think that I can take it back or make-up for it" Gabriella snapped at him and Troy leaned against the locker next to hers as Gabriella shut the door to her locker.

"What did you say?" he asked curiously.

"You really want to know?" Gabriella replied wincing and he nodded.

"I kind of told her that she didn't know who I was and that she didn't know that I was still there" she told him and Troy raised his eyebrows.

"Okay" he said and Gabriella looked at the ground.

"Look, she begged me to talk to her in the car and I told her that in this really, I don't know, emotionless voice and than I may have played this song that wasn't exactly the smartest thing I've ever done and she hasn't spoken to me since" Gabriella explained and she felt tears well up.

She hated this! Every other part of her life was fine, except her mother. Gabriella knew what she had been doing was right, she knew she was protecting her mother from her thoughts, every nasty one, every memory that she had had in the past few months. But it still hurt when she sat at the breakfast table and no conversation flowed, or when she sat down at the table and her mother stood and went to eat in another room. How did you make something like this right, when the person didn't even want to talk to you?

"Alright, hey it's okay. It'll just take some figuring out" Troy said gently and Gabriella looked up. A strand of hair fell into her eyes and he reached up and pushed it behind her ear, moving closer to her as he did so.

Gabriella blushed and felt her stomach turn as he looked down at her caringly. She bit her lip as she realized he hadn't removed his hand from her face, his thumb was stroking her cheek softly and Gabriella leaned into it, enjoying the tingling sensation that was slowly spreading from the spot that his thumb was stroking.

"Troy, you have to get to basketball" she barely whispered after a moment.

His thumb stopped stroking her face and his hand just rested where it was. Gabriella looked up and found that his blue eyes were full of something she had never seen before. No-one had ever looked at her the way he was now. She looked down again and than back up to meet his eyes which had lost the look.

"Troy, seriously" Gabriella said this time a little louder and he grinned, which caused her stomach to flip again.

"Alright, miss bossy boots, I'll see you later" Troy said and let his hand drop, but not before allowing his fingers to drag lightly over her cheek.

Gabriella swallowed hard as she felt his fingers, she suddenly realized how close he was standing to her and her breathing started to hitch.

"I'll see you later" he said again and vanished before Gabriella could pull herself together.

Taylor stood just out of view Gabriella, her face highlighted by a scowl. She did not like what she had just seen; this was not meant to be happening. Troy and Gabriella were not meant to put on such a show of affection. They weren't even meant to be _looking _at each other. Taylor was almost certain that Troy was the reason Gabriella hadn't given her a straight answer about joining the Decathlon team, every time she asked Gabriella about joining, Gabriella diverted the conversation to another subject. Taylor was also suspicious of their 'private' conversations, which always seemed to end when Taylor showed up or sometimes even when Troy's lunk head best friend, Chad, showed up. Throwing her hands in the air, she turned and walked the other way, determined to put an end to this social………misconception.

Taylor found who she was looking for in the gym, thanking the lord that Chad was the only one there. Her mind briefly visited the last time she had been in the gym and the scene that had confronted her.

"Chad" she said and he turned around with a confused look on his face.

"And you are?" Chad asked quizzically and Taylor closed her eyes and counted to ten, to make sure she didn't say anything sarcastic.

"Taylor" she replied opening her eyes.

"Mmm-hmm, you're talking to me because?" Taylor ignored the arrogant tone and concentrated on why she had come.

"Troy and Gabriella" she replied with a smirk as he dropped that ball and stared at her.

"What about them?" a new voice asked and Taylor turned to find a tall African-American, Zeke, she remembered his name from homeroom and a slightly shorter white boy, Jason, who was also in her homeroom.

"Okay, you all need Troy for your basketball championship, right?" she asked ignoring the question and they nodded, focusing on her intently.

"And my team needs Gabriella for our competition on the same day" Taylor continued and they looked at her confused.

"I know that Troy has missed two practices and had been late for a few others and those practices Troy's missed have been on the same time as my practices which Gabriella had also missed. Are we seeing a connection?" Taylor asked and realization dawned on their faces.

"So, what are we going to do about it? We need Troy completely focused for the game and if he's off gallivanting with Gabriella, that's not going to happen" Chad said slowly and Jason jumped in.

"Besides, he's Troy Bolton, he's not meant to be hanging out with some science chick" Taylor winced as she heard him talk about Gabriella like that but let it go seeing as Chad seemed to be acting serious for the first time since kindergarten.

"Okay, Taylor" Chad said her name as if it was a foreign word her wasn't quite sure how to pronounce "I know I can get Troy to say things that'll make Gabriella forget all about him, all we have to do is get her to hear it" he continued confidently and she nodded.

"We'll start tomorrow" she said happily and all three of them shook their heads.

"No, today" Chad said decidedly and Taylor paused before shrugging, they might as well do it sooner rather than later.

Gabriella sighed happily as she sat down in chemistry. Not only was she in her favorite class, but every time she closed her eyes she could feel Troy's hand, his thumb stroking her cheek. It sent pleasurable chills through her body, they had been so close! Gabriella couldn't describe the feeling, but she did know it made her happy. It was the happiness that had been evading her for a long time and all it had taken was a boy and it had been restored. Perhaps not fully, because Gabriella knew her life was never going to be complete without her father, but still, she was happier than she had been since she had found out about her father's illness.

"Sorry, I'm late" Taylor took the vacant seat next to Gabriella and opened her book ready to take notes.

"Its okay, you're not that late. Where were you?" Gabriella asked not seeing the way Taylor shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Uh, I needed to get my new chemistry book from my locker, I finished the old one" she replied and Gabriella nodded, her face turning serious as the teacher walked in.

Gabriella sighed with relief as the bell rang signaling the beginning of her lunch period. She took her time to organize her books as Taylor seemed to be lost in a world of her own. Her thoughts drifted to Troy and she wondered what he was doing, she smirked as she realized he was probably surrounded by his friends discussing the all important championship game next week. Her smile grew as she thought about how he didn't really mind if they lost or not, whereas his friends believed it to be a do or die situation. Gabriella knew that the game was important to Troy, but at the same time she realized that he needed to breathe as much as she needed to be saved. He'd even told her in a round about way that for once, just once, he would like to talk about something other than basketball with his friends or concentrate on something that was completely unrelated to the game.

"Gabriella, we can go now" Taylor waved a hand in front of her friends face and Gabriella jumped and nearly dropped her books.

"Oh, okay" she replied blinking at the annoyed look on Taylor's voice.

The left the classroom and headed for Gabriella's locker, which was a closer walk than Taylor's. Gabriella's thoughts drifted to her mother, who had been working more than usual lately. She supposed it was because she didn't want to be in Gabriella's presence. Gabriella frowned as she remembered that she had heard her mother ask a picture of her father what to do about her. Carmen hadn't known Gabriella was in the room and Gabriella had made sure that she didn't know. Her mother must be struggling as much as Gabriella was, but why couldn't Carmen be the one to start? Why did she have to beg Gabriella to talk to her? Gabriella hadn't wanted to start, she wanted her mother to. Now, was it too late? Should she have taken the chance when it was offered to her? No, Gabriella knew she shouldn't have. Her mother wouldn't know what to do when Gabriella told her some of the things she remembered or some of the things her father had told her. Carmen should be happy with her own memories and her own feelings. She didn't need to know Gabriella's. That was the end of it.

"Gabriella, are you going to open your locker or stand there and frown at it?" Taylor's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and Gabriella offered a weak smile as she opened the locker.

"Sorry, I kind of zoned out" she replied placing her books in.

"To where? Troy land?" Taylor asked sarcastically and Gabriella frowned at her.

"Gabriella, he's bound to hurt you sooner or later" Taylor informed her as a piece of paper fell to the ground.

Ignoring Taylor, Gabriella bent down and picked it up. Opening it she read it and a small smile appeared on her face, she folded it up again and looked at Taylor who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Go ahead to lunch, I'll see you later" she said and Taylor nodded.

Gabriella shut her locker and headed towards the English rooms. Taylor waited for a few moments and than followed her, staying just out of sight.

Gabriella frowned slightly as she realized that she was the only one in the hallway and than shrugged, it was lunchtime after all everyone was probably in the cafeteria. Her thoughts wandered back to the note. What was so important that Troy had to meet her in an empty classroom? They could have just gone to the rooftop; he always went there when he wanted to talk to her. What was different about today? Gabriella stopped outside the classroom and noticed that the door was already open. Troy stood in the doorway and instinct told Gabriella to talk to him, but she noticed how his shoulders were tensed and waited.

"Guys, if you're so positive I won't put a hundred and ten percent of my guts into the game. Than you have no idea who I am" Troy said and Chad folded his arms, out of the corner of his eye he saw Gabriella.

"But suddenly the girl, the missing practice and the secret" Chad said encouraging him ever so slightly.

The entire room and Gabriella held their breath as they waited for Troy to answer. Gabriella waited impatiently for him to answer. Troy let out an amused laugh.

"The girl? The secret? Are you guys serious? You of all people should know that the girl doesn't matter to me! And her secret? Probably the most laughable thing I've heard all year! I know I missed two practices, but seriously I was held against my _will_ listening to her go on about her secret. You all should know that my first and only priority is the game and _winning _the game. Gabriella and her secret don't matter, they never did and they never will. Everybody happy now?" Troy snapped at them.

Gabriella stood rooted to the spot, her world shattering at his words. Everything she had thought was real, everything he had said, everything he had done, every word, every look, _everything_ had been a lie. Who would do that? She'd thought he was different. She'd thought that he may have cared, the way he had looked at her made her think that. Gabriella could feel the tears burning at her eyes and she took a step back, her head was spinning and her heart felt as if it had been torn out and crushed. She didn't want to believe what he had just said; she couldn't believe that the one person she had let all the way in was the one who had crushed her life all over again. She'd thought that he had been the one saving her; she'd thought he had been the one to catch her as she fell. Why had he done it? After everything that she had told him, how could he do something like this? How could he say she didn't matter to him? When Gabriella knew that she had, she'd thought she had at least. Why was this happening to her?

Gabriella took another step back as Troy turned around. Brown eyes met blue and Gabriella watched as Troy froze in shock. She ignored the boys behind him and concentrated only on the stunned boy in front of her. Gabriella felt a single tear slide down her cheek and on instinct, she supposed, Troy lifted his hand to wipe it away. Gabriella pulled back as another tear fell.

"Gabriella" he said, pleading with her and Gabriella shook her head as she continued to back down the hallway. She paused for a moment and Troy took a step toward her.

"Gabriella" he said again as she took another step away from him, Gabriella suddenly realized she was shaking and tears were now cascading down her face.

"I let you in" she choked out and than turned and fled, not before seeing the grins on the other boys faces and Troy's blue eyes pleading with her silently.

Gabriella didn't look back, she didn't notice Taylor hiding in one of the classrooms, she just kept on running. She ignored the looks some of the students gave her as she ran out the front doors. Gabriella headed to the only place she knew would be the safest place to cry. She ran home. Gabriella burst into her house and ran past her mother, who stood frozen in shock at the sight of her distraught daughter running past her. Gabriella reached her room, opened the door and slammed it shut, before collapsing against it. Gabriella sobbed uncontrollably and hugged herself. This time there were no warm arms to hold her as she shook, no-one to rub her back gently as she hiccupped, no-one to give her a sense of security. The only two people who had been able to do that weren't there, one was dead and one had been a lie. A lie she hadn't seen. Why had she thought that he was different? Why weren't there any signs? How could he act like he cared when he was just toying with her? Who could be so heartless? So cruel? Why did he have to choose her to do this to? Why prey on someone who was already hurt? Gabriella managed to pick herself up off the ground and find her way to her bed. Picking up her remote she turned in her stereo and skipped to track three on the disc.

_**I never could've seen this far**_

_**I never could've seen this coming**_

_**It seems like my worlds falling apart**_

_**Yeah**_

**_Why is everything so hard?_**

_**I don't think that I can deal with the things you said**_

_**It just won't go away**_

_**In a perfect world **_

_**This could never happen **_

_**In a perfect world **_

_**You'd still be here**_

_**And it makes no sense **_

_**I could just pick up the pieces**_

_**But to you**_

_**This means nothing **_

_**Nothing at all**_

_**I used to think that I was strong**_

_**Until the day it all went wrong**_

_**I think I need a miracle to make it through**_

_**Yeah**_

_**I wish that I could bring you back**_

_**I wish that I could turn back time**_

_**Cause I can't let you go**_

_**I just can't find my way**_

_**Yeah**_

_**Without you I just can't find my way**_

_**In a perfect world**_

_**This could never happen**_

_**In a perfect world**_

_**You'd still be here**_

_**And it makes no sense**_

_**I could just pick up the pieces**_

_**But to you**_

_**This means nothing**_

_**Nothing at all**_

_**I don't know what I should do now**_

_**I don't know where I should go**_

_**I'm still here waiting for you**_

**_I'm lost when you're not around_**

_**I need to hold onto you**_

_**I just can't let you go**_

_**Yeah**_

_**Yeah **_

_**In a perfect world**_

_**This could never happen**_

_**In a perfect world**_

_**You'd still be here **_

_**And it makes no sense**_

_**I could just pick up the pieces**_

_**But to you**_

_**This means nothing **_

_**Nothing at all **_

_**Nothing at all **_

Gabriella felt a lone tear stray down her cheek as the song came to a close. She couldn't have seen this far, she'd had no idea that this was coming. Her world wasn't falling apart it _had_ fallen apart. Again. Gabriella knew life was hard, but she couldn't deal with what Troy had said and at the same time they wouldn't go away. She knew that she had been strong, strong enough to deal with her father's death and her mother's silence, but this? She wasn't strong enough for; a miracle was the only thing that could help her through this but they didn't exist. Gabriella wanted to be numb again, she didn't want to feel this pain, so different from the one she had experienced a week ago but at the same time exactly the same. Gabriella's mind slowed and the pain dulled as she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

"In a perfect world you'd still be here" she whispered.

A perfect world doesn't exist, Gabriella, if it did this would never have happened, she thought as another tear traced a path down her cheek. Gabriella's eyes closed as realization dawned on her. She hadn't been falling towards him she had been falling for him.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­

**A/N: Glad that's over, that chapter was so hard to write. My brother was reading what Troy said and even he said what Troy said was harsh and he has no idea what the story is about! Anyway, I did tell you to read it with an open mind. I will say that things will get better, just not how and when. I'll try and update as soon as I can. The reason this took so long to post is the indoor hockey season has started and I'm at the stadium nearly every afternoon, that and basketball has started to so I'm at school in the afternoon's for that as well. Yep, my life centre around sport in case you didn't pick that up from my pen name. Oh and the song was another Simple Plan song, 'Perfect World' in case you didn't guess. So I will try as hard as I can to update soon! Till than Servus! (That's one of the ways to say goodbye in German)**


	9. Now You Know

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: The next chapter has arrived!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 9**

**NOW YOU KNOW**

Gabriella stared at the entrance doors to East High and wondered if she should go in or not. Students milled around her shouting at each other and laughing, while Gabriella stood there gazing at the doors. As soon as she did, she would see him and Gabriella didn't know if she could. His words still echoed in her mind '_Gabriella and her secret don't matter_'. Gabriella felt the pain well up and she forced it down, she _would not _break down at school again. She would not break down because of Troy Bolton. Suddenly Gabriella heard a cheer and she turned quickly, Troy was getting off the bus and what seemed like half the school was there to greet him. Gabriella stood, frozen to the spot as she watched the crowd approach, Troy in the middle of the chaos. Gabriella watched as he smiled at all the people talking to him, how could he act like that? Like nothing had happened two days before? She bit her lip as he looked up at the entrance, she watched as he froze when he saw her and than detached himself from the crowd. Gabriella suddenly realized he was headed straight for her and she took a step back, he was closer to her now and she suddenly found that her legs had strength again. Quickly she turned on her heel and pushed the door open and headed into the school. He wasn't going to get a chance to talk to her and hurt her again. Gabriella was determined he wouldn't.

"Hey" Taylor's voice caused Gabriella to drop the books she had just taken out of her locker.

"Hi Taylor" she said quietly retrieving the book and facing her.

Of all the things Taylor expected to see on Gabriella's face, pain and sadness were not at the top of the list. Taylor had thought that Gabriella would have been over the Troy thing by now. Yes what Troy had said was a little harsh, but Taylor had figured that Gabriella would have brushed it off. They'd only known each other for a week after all; no-one could get that close in one week.

"So, we have a week till the decathlon and I was wondering. Have you made a decision yet?" Taylor asked hopefully.

Gabriella stared at her in shock. The decathlon was the last thing on her mind at the moment. All morning Gabriella had put her energy into avoiding Troy, which was harder than it seemed. He was everywhere. Gabriella had forgotten that she shared most of her classes with him. Whenever he walked into a room late the entire class would turn to welcome him, once Gabriella had looked up from her book only to discover his eyes on her. It had unnerved her somewhat, because his eyes, as soon as she had met them, had pleaded with her again in the same way they had when she had run from him two days ago.

"Gabriella? Hello, Gabriella, we have to get to class the bell rang" Taylor said with a laugh.

Gabriella stared at her, wondering how she could laugh when Gabriella felt there was nothing to laugh about. She suddenly remembered that Taylor didn't know what had happened and she made an attempt at a weak smile.

"Right, what class do we have now?" she asked quietly and Taylor began to wonder exactly what was really wrong with Gabriella.

"English" Taylor replied and Gabriella winced, another class with Troy.

She followed Taylor without complaint, dodging the crowd. Her thoughts quickly turned to Troy and she wondered why he was the only person she could think about now. Maybe because he was the only person beside her father who had had the power to shatter her completely and she hadn't known he had that power until he had said what he had said. How could she have not known he'd had that power? Why had she given him that power? How could she have not known that he wasn't what he said he was? What about all the things he had told her? What about wanting to be just a normal guy and not playmaker anymore? Why did he have to say those things? Just, why? Gabriella blinked back tears that threatened to spill over. She'd promised herself she wouldn't break down and she would stick by that promise. She walked in and realized the Troy was already there, Mr Hall wasn't and she suddenly realized that he was there purposely early; he knew that she would be early and he wanted to talk to her. Gabriella looked the other way and ignored him completely, he knew when she was going to break down and Gabriella knew that she was on the verge of breaking down again. She slipped into her seat as Mr Hall ran into the room, apologizing for being so late. Gabriella sighed and opened her book to a new page and preparing to take notes. She pushed all thoughts of Troy out of her head and concentrated on taking notes. She was only half-listening to Mr Hall, who was asking students random questions about the poem 'The Illiad'; she was jolted out of her concentrated state by Mr Hall asking Troy a question.

"Mr Bolton, while I am sure Miss Montez's ear is as interesting as the poem; would you be able to tell me exactly why it is important that Paris, Prince of Troy, killed Achilles, son of a goddess?" Mr Hall asked and Gabriella's head snapped up and she stared at her teacher and then slowly her gaze slipped to Troy who was rather red.

Before he could answer however, the bell rang and Gabriella gathered her things as quickly as she could and was one of the first out the door. Troy right behind her. Gabriella was a few steps away from the classroom when he finally managed to catch her arm. Gabriella jumped and spun around and came face to face with him.

"Gabriella-" he started to say and she tore her arm from his grip and glared at him.

"I can't believe you! How can you even think about talking to me, after what you said? How can you do that Troy?" she asked him her eyes flashing.

"Gabriella please-" he tried again and again she cut him off.

"Don't Troy, just don't, you've done enough damage, I don't see how you can do more. Wait, I know, are you going to tell me a joke about my father? Because last I heard you thought my 'secret' was laughable. My dad's dead Troy! How is that laughable? How is anything I ever told you laughable? How could you say I didn't matter? When you knew that I was completely shattered! I trusted you, I let you in, I told you things my mom doesn't know, I told you things I kept to myself through out the entire time dad was sick! Because of you my life had gained some normality again, some peace again, those pieces that were lying on the ground when I met you connected again, I could feel again, and than you took that all away" Gabriella hardly noticed that the hallway had gone quiet, she didn't realize that she was yelling, she didn't realized she was crying, she was only concentrating on Troy, who looked stunned.

"What makes this entire thing worse is that I don't want to feel again, I just want to go back to being numb, because it would be better than what I'm feeling at the moment. I'm broken beyond repair now Troy, I'm falling again and this time there's going to be no-one there to catch me because you were the one that was going to catch me before and I hardly realized what was happening to me until the day you broke me again, I hardly realized I was falling for you and not towards you" Gabriella didn't know if she was making sense or not, she didn't know why she had just told him that, what she did know is what she had just told him was true. All of it was true.

Gabriella realized she wasn't going to get another word out of him. Everyone in the hall stood stunned at the scene they had just witnessed or were witnessing. None of them knew what to think, none of them fully understood what was going and none of them knew why the new girl was yelling things like that at Troy Bolton, who was standing there and allowing her to yell at him.

Slowly Gabriella wiped away her tears and than she turned and began to walk in the opposite direction of Troy. Her footsteps echoed as everyone watched her and she stopped when she heard his voice.

"Gabriella" Troy's tone was soft and gentle; slowly she turned to look at him. Her brown eyes met his blue ones and she shook her head.

"You were saving me Troy" she said as more tears fell, Gabriella could feel the pain battling to escape the bottle that she had forced it inside and she turned and walked away from the only person, apart from her father, who truly understood and cared about her.

Chad and Taylor stood frozen in shock at the scene that they had just witnessed. They hadn't known, they hadn't realized, her dad was dead? Was that the reason Troy and Gabriella were so close? She'd just said that that was true, Chad and Taylor suddenly realized how harsh Troy's words had been, they suddenly realized how badly they'd screwed up and now they needed to put it right.

Gabriella found herself in the bathroom all alone. Again. She stared at her reflection and wondered how she could have said what she had said to him. How could she have told him that she was falling for him? Gabriella didn't realize there was a radio in the bathroom until a song started playing.

_**In these eyes**_

_**More than words**_

_**More than anything that I've spoken**_

_**As the skies turn to gray **_

_**My hearts just about to crack open**_

_**So the story goes**_

_**There's something you should know **_

_**Before I walk away**_

_**And I blow the ending**_

_**I never want to be without you**_

_**Oh no here I go**_

_**Now you know**_

_**What I feel about you**_

_**There's no running**_

_**I must have been wrong to doubt you**_

_**Oh no there I go**_

_**No control**_

_**And I'm fallen **_

_**So now you know**_

_**Feels so light**_

_**Craving oxygen**_

_**All this truth's left me empty**_

_**Will you run?**_

_**Can you handle it?**_

_**Cause I need you to tell me**_

_**Maybe this is bold**_

_**But I'm hoping you'll stay for the happy ending**_

_**I never want to be without you**_

_**Oh no here I go **_

_**Now you know**_

**_What I feel about you_**

_**I must have been wrong to doubt you**_

_**Oh no**_

_**There I go **_

_**No control**_

_**And I'm fallen**_

_**So now you know**_

_**No I won't look back**_

_**When I tell you what I think about you**_

_**No I won't look back**_

_**When I tell you what I think about you**_

_**So the story goes**_

_**Yeah **_

_**You already know**_

_**So don't be a fool **_

_**And go and spoil the ending**_

_**I never want to be without you**_

_**Oh no here I go**_

_**Now you know**_

_**What I feel about you**_

_**There's no running**_

_**I must have been wrong to doubt you**_

_**Oh no there I go**_

_**No control**_

_**And I'm fallen **_

_**So now you know**_

Gabriella's sighed, her skies weren't gray anymore, they were black, her heart wasn't just about to crack open it had cracked open, she'd already walked away and there was going to be no ending it had already ended. He knew now what she felt about him; she suddenly realized the repercussions of what she had said. What was Troy going to do? Was he going to run? Gabriella sighed as she realized how much she doubted Troy at the moment, was she wrong to doubt him? How could she have lost control like that? Should she look back? Gabriella rested her head on the mirror as her mind continued replaying the questions over and over again. Somehow a new one forced there way into the non-stop circles, did she want to be without him?

**A/N: Okay and that was the chapter! I only like certain parts of it to be truthful, but I bet you didn't expect Gabriella to do that! The song was 'Now You Know' another Hilary Duff song, I think the lyrics fit okay, I'll try and update as soon as I can!**


	10. Behind These Hazel Eyes

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: So I hope you all liked the last chapter, because here is the new one, I hope you enjoy it!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 10**

**BEHIND THESE HAZEL EYES **

Gabriella sighed in relief when she heard the final bell. Ever since she had yelled at Troy she had been constantly stared at and where ever she walked whispers would follow. She hadn't taken any particular notice of it at first, seeing as she was too preoccupied with her thoughts and questions about Troy. But than during lunch, Gabriella had finally noticed all the eyes that followed her every move. Everyone seemed to follow her what she was doing, she didn't quite understand why they were all so interested in her every movement, especially the girls, until Taylor had told her a little bit about Troy's past and how he never seemed to allow a girl near, even when they clung to him tighter than his own clothes. Taylor had told her that everyone had heard Troy say he was waiting for someone special. The only person who didn't seem to be following her actions was the one person who Gabriella had half expected too. Troy seemed to be blatantly ignoring her the same way she had for most of the day. Although Gabriella didn't want to admit it, she had hoped to get a reaction out of Troy. She had hoped that something that she had said to him would have gotten through to him. Maybe she hadn't hoped, so much as wished that something she had said had gotten through to him.

"Gabriella! Hey Gabriella" Taylor's voice snapped her out of her daze and Gabriella stopped walking to wait for her friend.

"Hi Taylor" she said softly.

Taylor looked at the girl in front of her and wondered how she could have done such a horrible thing to her. Gabriella had changed since the day, sure before that day there had been something about her that didn't quite fit and Taylor could only assume that it had something to do with her father, but than Troy had started to talk to her and the something had lifted until two days ago when he had said those things. Than it had come back, except this time it was evident to everyone around her and Taylor could tell it was slowly killing her inside.

"Hi, so can I walk with you?" she asked flinching as Gabriella looked at her and she saw the sadness in her eyes.

"Sure" Gabriella shrugged and the two girls began to walk again, both silent, both to caught up in their own thoughts to talk.

Gabriella folded her arms as she walked side by side with Taylor. It was strange to hear her friends so silent; usually she was so talkative and rarely ever seemed so preoccupied with something. She glanced at Taylor and than looked at the ground, her thoughts automatically turning to Troy. She sighed as she remembered how he had said her name as she had walked away from him. It had been so caring, so gentle and although she didn't really want to admit it but the word loving came to mind. He had said her name and the whole point of her yelling at him had come out. How could she have told him that? That last thing she had said to him hadn't meant to come out, he wasn't meant to know that he had been the one saving her. He wasn't meant to know that she had been, or was, falling for him. Gabriella's thoughts drifted back to what she had thought in the bathroom and the questions started again, the most predominate one being, did she want to be without him? At the time Gabriella hadn't really thought about it, but every time the questions passed through her mind a slight ache in her heart would surface and than recede as the question disappeared. But now, now that she had ended it, now that she had walked away, now that Troy knew, she had to admit that the thought of coming to school and seeing Troy and not being able to share a secret smile, not being able to talk to him, not being able to feel him was as inviting as going home to her mother. Now that Troy knew, Gabriella could feel the hole in her heart that had been left when her father had died, grow bigger, it grew bigger because the two people who had somehow managed to become the center of her world had both gone. Her world had revolved around her father since she had opened her eyes to when he had closed his and Troy, Troy had been her world for all of a week, he had been her world since he had thawed her heart, to when he had broken it. Gabriella let out a sigh and glanced at Taylor again, as she glanced at Taylor Gabriella ran into something solid. Something she recognized, _someone _she recognized. Troy caught her waist as Gabriella started to fall backwards, out of the corner of her eye Gabriella saw that the same thing had happened to Taylor and that Chad had done what Troy had done. Steeling herself for cold blue eyes Gabriella looked up at Troy. Only to find his eyes unreadable.

"S-sorry" she gasped their eyes still locked, his arms still around her waist, suddenly the unreadable blue eyes turned cold and the warm arms slipped from her waist.

"Watch where you're going next time, someone might not catch you when you fall" Troy replied shoving his hands into his pockets, Gabriella's eyes filled with tears and shock at the hurtful words that had just spilled from his mouth, she stepped back from him.

Chad and Taylor watched the exchanged with horror, they had caused that. Taylor could see Gabriella fighting to stay composed and Chad could see Troy fighting to pull Gabriella back into his arms and apologize over and over again for something he didn't do.

Determinedly Gabriella fought back the tears that threatened to show; she wasn't going to cry in front of him again, she wasn't going to give him an excuse to tear her apart anymore than he already had. She wasn't going to give him anything more to hurt her with. She recognized his words; it was just a repeat of what she had yelled at him about. Gabriella bit her lip and opened her mouth to say something and nothing came out, because she couldn't do it, she couldn't hurt him anymore than she had. She closed her mouth and silently walked past him, avoiding brushing his arm as she walked, eyes trained on the ground, her dark hair covering her face.

Taylor and Chad exchanged a look as Troy walked the other way, eyes on the ground, his dirty blonde hair covering his eyes. Chad nodded and released Taylor's waist, they knew they had to fix this; they had to do something to make their friends happy. Both of them knew that Troy and Gabriella would never be happy until they were together again. Taylor ran after Gabriella and finally caught up to her half a block from school.

"Gabriella! Gabriella stop!" Taylor said as she ran up to her, hearing the urgency in her friends voice Gabriella stopped walking and looked up at her.

"Yes?" she asked quietly, Taylor could see the path the tears had traced and she felt a pang as she realized that it was partly her fault.

"This whole Troy thing, with him saying all those things, was a set-up" Taylor told her quickly and Gabriella froze, unable to believe what had just come out of Taylor's mouth.

"What?" she whispered hoping she had heard wrong.

"The other day, when you and Troy where at your locker it looked like he was about to kiss you and I thought Troy was the reason you wouldn't give me a straight answer about the decathlon and another reasoning was that you two shouldn't be hanging out and I was jealous because you never told me what you and Troy actually talked about and so when I saw that, I went to Chad and he agreed with me because they needed Troy focused for the championship game. Anyway, we came up with that because there was no time to waste. Troy said all that stuff but he didn't mean it, he only said it because Chad knew if he pushed the right buttons Troy would say things like that. I wrote the note and the plan was all mine, we didn't know how close you and Troy were and we didn't know about your dad and I'm really, really, really sorry" Taylor said in a rush, jumping from one part of the story to another, with anyone else she would have lost them but Gabriella caught it all.

Taylor grew worried as Gabriella stared at her; she wanted to get a reaction. Taylor wanted to be shouted at, slapped, torn apart with words, anything but this unbearable silence that was coming from Gabriella.

Gabriella's mind was reeling; it felt like she was having an information overload. Gabriella could see that small part of her that had still been connected crack and shatter and she shook her head, how could Taylor do this? How could she just assume something like that? How could she set her up? How could she do something so hurtful?

"Gabriella, say something please" Taylor's voice broke through her thoughts and Gabriella shook her head.

"I can't, just go, leave me alone Taylor, please" Gabriella's voice shook and Taylor stared at her and than backed away.

Slowly Gabriella turned around and walked to her house. She saw her mother was at home and for the first time was grateful; she was grateful that there was a slightly comforting presence in the world. Gabriella opened the front door and walked in. She dropped her bag by the door and than went in search of her mother, who was sitting in the living room reading a book.

Carmen looked up when she heard her daughter walk in to the room. She closed her book as Gabriella walked over to her and sat down. Carmen looked at her and waited for more hurtful words to come out of her mouth, instead what Gabriella did next surprised her, she kicked off her shoes and placed her head on her mothers lap and stretched out on the lounge. Carmen froze in shock and than carefully placed her book on the table next to the lounge. She waited for something to happen.

Gabriella lay there silently for a moment and than she looked up into her mothers brown eyes, so similar to her own, which were questioning her curiously.

"I'm so sorry mom" she choked out and Carmen looked at her in shock as Gabriella began to sob.

Carmen silently started to stoke her daughter's hair as Gabriella's body shook and tears cascaded down her face. She didn't know what was wrong; all she knew was the Gabriella was hurting. Carmen knew that it took a lot to make Gabriella cry and seeing Gabriella like that, instead of scaring her it relieved her. She was relieved that Gabriella had opened the bottle to her feelings and was letting them out.

After a few minutes of sobbing Gabriella finally regained control of what was happening she lay there in silence as her mother stoked her hair, comforting her and in a way forgiving her for everything Gabriella had said and done that had hurt her. Wiping away her tears Gabriella sat up and leaned on her mothers shoulder. Carmen placed an arm around her shoulder and Gabriella sighed, she loved her mother, but being her mother's arms was nothing, _nothing_, like being held by Troy. Gabriella closed her eyes as she thought about him.

"I'm going to my room" she whispered and Carmen gave her a squeeze.

"Okay, I'll get you when dinners ready" Carmen replied and Gabriella got up.

As she climbed the stairs her mind turned to Troy. How could he have said that? How could he go from being so warm to being so cold? Which person was he? The warm, wonderful, caring one that she had met a week ago or the cold, heartless one who had said those things? Gabriella sighed again as she opened the door to her room, it didn't make sense. She had thought that he was the one, she'd let him in, he'd made everything alright, Gabriella felt tears well up again and she blinked them back. He wasn't there but she wasn't going to cry over him or in front of him again. She turned on her stereo, threw open her French doors and stood out on her balcony and watched the sun set. As the moon began to rise a song that Gabriella felt suited her began to play on her stereo.

_**Seems like just yesterday**_

_**You were a part of me**_

_**I used to stand so tall**_

_**I used to be so strong**_

_**Your arms around me tight**_

_**Everything it felt so right**_

_**Unbreakable like nothing could go wrong**_

_**Now I can't breath**_

_**No I can't sleep**_

_**I'm barely hanging on**_

_**Here I am, once again**_

_**I'm torn into pieces**_

_**Can't deny it can't pretend**_

_**Just thought you were the one**_

_**Broken up deep inside**_

_**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**_

_**Behind these hazel eyes**_

_**I told you everything**_

_**Opened up and let you in**_

_**You made me feel alright **_

_**For once in my life**_

_**Now all that's left of me**_

_**Is what I pretend to be**_

_**So together but so broken up inside**_

_**Cause I can't breathe**_

_**No I can't sleep**_

_**I'm barely hanging on**_

_**Here I am once again**_

_**I'm torn into pieces**_

_**Can't deny it can't pretend**_

_**Just thought you were the one**_

_**Broken up deep inside**_

_**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**_

_**Behind these hazel eyes**_

_**Swallow me than spit me out**_

_**For hating you I blame myself**_

_**Seeing you it kills me now**_

_**No I don't cry on the outside**_

_**Anymore **_

_**Here I am once again**_

_**I'm torn into pieces**_

_**Can't deny it can't pretend**_

_**Just thought you were the one**_

_**Broken up deep inside**_

_**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**_

_**Behind these hazel eyes**_

_**Here I am once again**_

_**I'm torn into pieces**_

_**Can't deny it can't pretend**_

_**Just thought you were the one**_

_**Broken up deep inside**_

_**But you won't get to see the tears I cry**_

_**Behind these hazel eyes**_

Gabriella closed her eyes as the song finished, marveling inwardly at how true the song seemed to be. Wondering how it could be so close to what she actually felt. Wondering how it could make her cry when she promised herself she wouldn't cry over him.

"But you won't get to see the tears I cry" Gabriella whispered and than jumped.

"I already have" Troy's voice was quiet as he spoke and Gabriella spun around to face him.

They stared at each other for a moment and than Gabriella regained her composure.

"How did you get in here?" she asked softly tearing her eyes away from his and looking at the ground.

"Your mom let me in, she told me which room was yours" he replied and Gabriella heard him move closer to her.

"Why are you here? Because if you're here to point out that no-one's going to catch me you don't need to" she snapped at him and backed up as he took another step closer to her.

"I'm not, I'm here to talk to you" Troy said and Gabriella looked up and took another step back.

"About what?" she whispered as he moved even closer, Gabriella moved away from him only to find herself trapped, her back was to the railing and the only way she could get away was to go past Troy and she knew that he wasn't about to let her do that.

"About what Chad and Taylor did and about what I said" Troy told her and took another step closer, there was now only a few centimeters between them, Gabriella suddenly found it hard to breathe and she could feel her heart speed up. Troy pulled his hand out of his pocket and touched her face, wiping away her tears.

"I didn't mean anything I said, Gabriella, none of it is true. When I said your secret was laughable, when I referred to you as 'the girl', when I told them I was held against my will listening to you, I didn't mean any of it. Gabriella, even if I wanted to mean it, I can't. Because meaning it would go against every thing you've made me feel in the last week, I don't know if I can put it into words but there was something about you when you ran into me that made me follow you, there's something about you that just………leaves me amazed. Everything I said to my team was a lie, what I said to you earlier was a lie. Gabriella, I would skip all my practices just to make sure you were alright, I wouldn't play in the championship if you needed me. I know that all sounds crazy because I've known you all of a week, but all of that is true. I don't know if you'll believe me but I had to tell you that" Troy continued,

Gabriella stared at him and she saw the sincerity in his eyes and she knew that he wasn't lying to her. Gabriella didn't know how she knew, her head was telling her was to not trust him, to say something hurtful and close this chapter of her life that had begun a week ago for good, to forget about him and move on. But her heart, her _heart_ was telling her to trust him; her heart was telling her if she closed this chapter she would be left wondering what could have happened, her heart was telling her that if she turned away now there would be no second chance, her heart was telling her that this boy had the answers that she wanted, her heart was telling her that once she had him he would never leave, he would always be there no matter what. And there was something else, something Gabriella didn't recognize but it was pushing her to believe him, it was guiding her ever so gently and Gabriella sighed.

"I believe you" she whispered and his gaze seemed to intensify, she felt she was drowning in blue and she couldn't look away.

Troy's other hand was now on her waist and Gabriella's arms were resting one his, strong, firm shoulders, their lips a hairs breadth apart. When Gabriella felt the something guiding her pull back, telling her it wasn't time, telling her to wait. As much as she didn't want to obey, the something forced her head down, it seemed to take her over and Gabriella couldn't have stopped it even if she had tried.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked and she looked up again, meeting his worried gaze.

Slowly her arms slipped from his shoulders and she shook her head.

"I can't Troy" she whispered and his hand slipped from her face, Gabriella felt the cool breeze brush past and she bit her lip.

"Why not? Don't you believe me?" he asked again shoving the hand that had rested on her face in his pocket.

"Of course I do! It's just, I don't know, I can't, I don't know if I can explain it but please……" she trailed off as he nodded, she saw disappointment in his eyes as well as understanding and she closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry" she said and was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her, she tentatively returned the hug.

They stood there for a moment and Gabriella felt that sense of security that came when he held her, that feeling that everything was going to be alright and she held onto him.

"It's okay, I have to go anyway, so I'll see you tomorrow" Troy said into her hair after a moment, Gabriella nodded and he pulled back.

Gabriella shivered as his arms slipped from around her, and a longing to be back in his arms surfaced, even though he had just removed them. Troy gave her a smile and than leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, sending shockwaves of electricity through her body. With one last smile he walked out of her room, without a word. Gabriella hugged herself as she watched him leave and than she turned back to the night sky. She gazed up at the moon and felt a soft smile appear on her face as she realized he had once again managed to help her put the pieces back together. Her mind turned to the something that had been guiding her and she wondered what it was. Turning she walked into her room and her eyes fell on the picture her father had given her and it clicked with her what the something had been. He'd once promised her that he would never leave her and now Gabriella believed that was true, her father had been the one guiding her and he was now telling her that she had to ask Troy the question she wanted to answer most. Gabriella felt the soft smile spread as she began to comprehend what that something was. Her father was guiding her.

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter finished, I liked that, sorry about how long it took to post I had a huge writers block and than it all came to me and I wrote this in about two hours! I love the thing with Carmen and Gabriella my mom and I used to do it all the time and than well…..anyway I hoped you liked it! Update will hopefully come sooner!**


	11. In A Second

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: Hey guys so I decided that I better start this chapter when I had time!!! Man my life has been crazy these past weeks, I swear every time I turn on my laptop my dad appears out of no where and says I have trials or something, it's driving me insane!!!! Anyway enough of my woes, here is the next chapter!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 11**

**IN A SECOND**

Gabriella walked through East High's door completely oblivious to the looks that she was getting from the surrounding students. Her mind kept on replaying what had happened the day before with Troy, how he had showed up and said those things, how he had managed to put the pieces back together again. She shivered as she remembered the feeling of his lips against her skin, the feeling of being held by him, his hand on her cheek. Gabriella sighed as she reached her locker and opened it, the only thing he hadn't done was talk her into forgiving Taylor. Gabriella wasn't sure if she could forgive her for what she had done; it hurt to know that a person she considered a friend could turn around and do something like that without trying to get the full story first, admittedly Gabriella wasn't sure if she would have told Taylor the reason she always seemed to be with Troy, but that didn't matter. Taylor could have at least asked instead of assuming, especially about her relationship with Troy. Gabriella frowned as she thought about it. She wasn't sure what she had with Troy, they had been friends, but last night, last night something had changed between them or at least she thought something had changed and Gabriella didn't know where that left her standing.

"Hey" the object of her thoughts walked up behind her and Gabriella jumped.

"Troy! You scared me!" she exclaimed spinning around to face him, he laughed and Gabriella bit her lip as the lock of hair that always seemed to fall into his eyes fell and she fought the urge to reach up and push it away.

"Whoops, sorry" he said still grinning and she narrowed her eyes playfully at him.

"Sure you are" she muttered and turned back to her locker, her mind spinning, should she say something about last night? Or should she leave it?

"So, are you going to talk to Taylor?" Troy asked curiously and Gabriella turned back around to face him.

"I don't know, are you going to talk to Chad?" she replied and Troy shrugged.

"Chad's not the easiest person to ignore, besides he's my best friend and didn't know all the facts" he said and Gabriella shut her locker door and they both headed to homeroom.

"Well, Taylor didn't know all the facts as well but still shouldn't they have asked before assuming?" Gabriella asked and Troy shrugged.

"Maybe you should give her a second chance; after all she did tell you the truth" Troy said as they stopped outside the door.

"Fine, I'll think about it" Gabriella sighed and Troy smiled, patted her awkwardly on the back and than went inside.

Gabriella furrowed her brow and turned to watch him. What had just happened? That wasn't Troy, she was sure that wasn't Troy. The night before he hadn't been afraid to touch her and now it seemed like he wasn't sure what to do when it came to touching her, the awkward pat on the back had spoken volumes. After a moment of contemplation, Gabriella shrugged and let it go; maybe he was conscious of the one meter rule.

Gabriella sighed in frustration as she stared at the equation in front of her. She knew that she could do it, it was just a simple algebraic equation, but she couldn't concentrate. Her mind kept on returning to Troy's strange behavior, she had no idea what she had done. He seemed to be avoiding her ever since the morning. She's guessed that he had been avoiding her because he was in a majority of her classes and always seemed to arrive after her. This would have been normal if he had sent her one of his smiles that Gabriella had become quite used to, but when he did walk in and she looked up he would meet her eyes and than look the other way. It was beginning to get to her, because she had become so used to Troy sending her a secret smile when he walked into the room or him coming up to her and squeezing her sides while she stood at her locker. Gabriella groaned and her head hit the table as she wondered again what she had done. Why was he pushing her away? Did he regret what had happened last night? No, he couldn't have, but what if he did?

"Miss Montez is there a problem?" Gabriella head snapped up as Mrs Blair suddenly noticed her head down.

Gabriella went bright red as the entire class turned to stare at her. Everyone except Troy, Gabriella sighed and closed her eyes as she turned her head to the teacher; she reopened them and realized that she was staring at Troy.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night" she replied and Mrs Blair smiled kindly when she saw who she was looking at, she had seen Troy and Gabriella together countless times and she was sure that there was something between them.

"Well try and get some more sleep this time" she replied and turned back to the whiteboard.

Gabriella shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned her attention back to the sheet of equations, in the back of her mind, however, she felt her father pushing her to find out what happened and Gabriella knew that she needed to know what she had done.

Gabriella weaved in and out of students headed to the cafeteria; she was heading in the opposite direction because the person she wanted to talk to was always there the first half of lunch period. Truthfully, she wasn't sure that she wanted to talk to the particular person but, like the night before, Gabriella could feel her father gently guiding her and although she had some misgivings she decided it was better to trust him than figure this out on her own. As she walked Gabriella's mind turned to Troy and she sighed as she thought about he seemed to be ignoring her completely, although she had to admit several times during class she had looked up with the feeling that someone was looking at her and turned her head to find Troy slightly red. It didn't make sense that he could look at her but he wouldn't talk to her. Gabriella barely realized that she had reached the lab when she walked in and found it empty. She frowned, where was Taylor? She was normally here, Gabriella was pretty sure Taylor never went to lunch till she was hungry and Gabriella knew that rarely ever happened. Sighing again she looked around and her eyes landed on a portable CD player. She cocked her head curiously and walked over to it. She turned it on and hit play to see what CD was in it.

_**Don't know where you are**_

_**Wish I just could be near you**_

_**I would sail oceans**_

_**To get a glimpse of how you feel**_

_**You're all the things I'm looking for**_

_**Everything and so much more**_

_**What I think **_

_**You are just perfect**_

**_Could it be?_**

_**That I am worth it**_

**_Is this thing an open door?_**

_**Walk right through to something more**_

_**You and me**_

_**My life would change in a second**_

_**In a second**_

_**Don't know how you feel**_

_**You seem to keep it to yourself**_

_**Would you climb mountains? **_

_**To show me this is something real**_

_**You're all the things I'm looking for**_

_**Everything and so much more**_

_**What I think**_

_**You are just perfect**_

**_Could it be? _**

_**That I am worth it**_

**_Is this thing an open door?_**

_**Walk right through to something more**_

_**You and me**_

_**My life would change in a second**_

_**In a second**_

**_Could it be?_**

**_Could it be?_**

_**You and me**_

_**You and me**_

**_Do I see?_**

**_Do I see?_**

_**Clearly**_

_**What I think **_

_**You are just perfect**_

_**Could it be? **_

_**That I am worth it**_

_**Is this thing an open door?**_

_**Walk right through to something more**_

_**What I think **_

_**You are just perfect**_

_**Could it be?**_

_**That I am worth it**_

_**Is this thing an open door?**_

_**Walk right through to something more**_

_**You and me**_

_**My life would change in a second**_

_**In a second**_

Gabriella smiled a little sadly as the song finished. She didn't know how Troy felt and she never would at the rate this was going, she knew he was everything she was looking for and so much more, she knew that he was perfect, well maybe not perfect but close to it, what she didn't know was if what she was looking at was an open door and all she had to do was walk through to find something more. She didn't know if Troy would go to great lengths to show her that this was something real, she didn't know if she was worth it. What if he suddenly thought that she wasn't worth it?

"Gabriella? What are you doing here?" Taylor's voice broke through her thoughts and Gabriella spun around to face her feeling slightly apprehensive, Taylor looked wary and curious and Gabriella smiled at her hesitantly.

"Hi Taylor" she said quietly turning off the CD player.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again setting her books down on the table.

"I, uh, came to talk to you actually" Gabriella said fiddling with the hem of her shirt and Taylor stood there and waited for her to start, she figured that Gabriella needed to tell her off and she waited, bracing herself for whatever came next.

"Taylor, relax, don't look so worried, I haven't come here to tell you off or tell you that our friendship is over. I came here to ask you a question" Gabriella said smiling slightly as Taylor visibly relaxed.

"What's the question?" Taylor said sitting down in a lab chair, Gabriella joined her and sighed, Taylor watched as her friend turned melancholy.

"I want to know what I did to Troy" Gabriella said and than realized that it wasn't a question, but a statement.

Taylor looked at her sadly and knew that Gabriella had to know, Taylor was almost positive that Troy hadn't told her how much she meant to him, she'd seen the body language that Troy had been sending Gabriella and she had had Chad confirm that Troy thought that although Gabriella _said_ that she liked him, Troy wasn't sure about it because she never seemed to show it. According to Chad, Troy thought that he was doing all the work and was the only one that cared in their friendship or whatever it was that they shared.

"Well believe it or not, I spoke to Chad this morning and he's been giving me some hints as to why Troy's acting the way he is. Gabriella, Troy thinks that you don't care about him the way you say you do. Because you never seem to show it with your actions, to him it's like he's doing all the work and he's the only one that cares in whatever you guys have. I have to say, though while I know that you like him, you never seem to show it" Taylor said and Gabriella stared at her in shock.

Taylor shrugged and Gabriella's mind drifted. Taylor watched as Gabriella face changed, to Taylor it was like Gabriella had realized what she had been doing. Gabriella herself, was to busy thinking about Taylor's words. She realized that Taylor was telling the truth and that maybe she needed to change it. Gabriella looked at Taylor again and offered her a weak smile.

"Thanks Taylor" she said and got up and walked to the door.

Gabriella suddenly stopped and turned around; she could feel her father urging her to do something that Gabriella had been contemplating.

"Taylor? You're forgiven" Gabriella smiled at her and Taylor's mouth dropped open in shock as Gabriella left the room.

Gabriella headed to the only place she knew that Troy would go during lunch. She headed to the gym. Troy had told her once that when he had a lot on his mind he went to shoot baskets. Sure enough when she walked in he was there shooting baskets. Gabriella suddenly felt very nervous; they hadn't spoken since this morning and she wasn't exactly sure what to say to him. Her mind unexpectedly flashed back to the week before when she was last here, she'd felt the same way than as she did now. Gabriella slowly walked over to him and waited for him to realize that she was there. It only took him a moment to realize that she was there. He turned to her and dropped the basketball as Gabriella cocked her head to one side as he approached her warily.

"Gabriella?" he asked raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Gabriella had no idea what possessed her to do what she did next but she did it anyway. With a sigh she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel him tense and than he relaxed as he returned her hug. Gabriella sighed as she closed her eyes and tightened her grip on him. She could feel his head on top of hers and Gabriella felt so safe and so comfortable. She smiled as she felt his lips press against her forehead and than the bell rang. Gabriella and Troy jumped apart and looked at each other, each knowing that something had changed definitely this time. Troy grinned at her and Gabriella smiled softly as he pulled her back into his arms. Gabriella closed her eyes again and relaxed into him.

"I'll see you later" she whispered into his shoulder.

"Mmm-hmm" was his reply, Gabriella stood on her toes and kissed his cheek softly.

"Bye" she said as he looked into her brown eyes.

"See you" Troy said as she pulled away from him, his hand found hers and he squeezed it gently.

Gabriella smiled and left the gym. Her thoughts strayed back to the song and her smile grew, he really was perfect, now she knew that it was an open door and all she had to do was walk through it and she would find something more. Gabriella sighed and realized her life had just changed in a second.

**A/N: Another chapter done! Sadly there is only two more chapters to go, hopefully they will come sooner than this one. I'm not particularly sure about this chapter, I don't know if it fits in the story or not, I really didn't like it anyway. The song is 'In a Second' by Ally and AJ. I'll really will try and update soon! **


	12. The Smile On Your Face

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: So this is the new chapter and I hope that you all enjoy it, second last chapter, so you'd better! Just joking, here it is. **

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 12**

**THE SMILE ON YOUR FACE **

Gabriella sat at the table in her kitchen tapping the counter nervously. Today was the Scholastic Decathlon and Gabriella had never felt so nervous, she wasn't quite sure why she was nervous she'd done these things hundreds of times before but all the same she was nervous. Sighing she ignored the amused look her mother sent and stopped tapping. Why was she so nervous? She knew the material off by heart or at least she thought she did, for a moment Gabriella panicked, did she know the material as well as she thought she did? What if she slipped up and forgot something? Or misspelled something? Or read it wrong? Unconsciously Gabriella started to tap the bench again; her drumming fingers were the only thing that could be heard in the silent kitchen. She knew her mother kept on sending her amused looks; she didn't know what was funny and she wasn't particularly keen on finding out. _Where_ on earth was her father? Gabriella froze as the thought burst into her mind. She couldn't believe that she had just thought that, where had it come from? Why had it suddenly appeared? Gabriella knew her breathing was shallow and she made an attempt at calming down. It worked, sort of. She could feel her breathing become more even and her body relax, but her mind seemed to be going a mile a minute, the questions flowing through her mind seemed to pick up speed and Gabriella began to feel dizzy.

"Gabriella, it's time for you to go to school" Carmen's voice, laced with amusement, broke through Gabriella's thoughts and she looked at her mother.

"Huh? Oh right, school, um, where's my bag?" Gabriella's sentence amused Carmen much more than her actions; she fought the urge to laugh and instead settled on a gentle smile.

"It's sitting next to your chair, which is where it has been for the past fifteen minutes" she told Gabriella gently and Gabriella looked at her, fear evident in her eyes.

"You'll come to the decathlon, won't you mom?" Gabriella asked and Carmen's smile grew wider as she got up and walked over to her nervous daughter.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it. Have a good day at school" Carmen said kissing Gabriella's forehead.

"Thanks mom, love you" Gabriella left the kitchen with Carmen wondering exactly what had happened to her daughter of the past few weeks. Although Carmen wouldn't tell Gabriella, but she guessed the entire reason Gabriella seemed more like the Gabriella before Carlos passed on was because of the boy that had shown up a few days to talk to her. Carmen had opened the door as he had been leaving and seen them together. She had seen the look on Gabriella's face and knew that the content smile that had been on her face, had only ever shown itself when she had been with her father. Carmen had a funny feeling that the boy had been the one that Gabriella had let in.

Gabriella, upon arriving at school, went in search of Troy. She didn't want to see Taylor just yet, mainly because she would begin quizzing her about the decathlon, she didn't want to see Chad, who had strangely begun to talk to her, she had a sneaking suspicion that both Troy and Taylor had gotten on his case about her and he had decided to give her a go and to his surprise she was everything that Troy had told him she was, he'd said as much. No, she didn't want to see Chad because the only thing he would be talking about was the basketball game, he'd actually taken to giving her and Taylor lectures on basketball, which they'd found amusing the first ten times. She just wanted to see Troy because he would know exactly what to say to her, he always seemed to. Sighing in relief she turned a corner and saw him at his locker, Gabriella walked quickly and reached him without him noticing her.

"Hey" she said softly and he turned to face her, an annoyed expression on his face, which softened when he saw who it was.

"Hey" he replied and Gabriella laughed slightly at him.

"What?" Troy grinned at her shutting his locker door and leaning against it.

"You thought I was a cheerleader didn't you? Coming to wish you good luck?" Gabriella replied and Troy turned slightly red.

"You got me, I was getting annoyed, hey what's wrong?" he asked her suddenly concerned and Gabriella froze. How could he do that? How could he see right past her defenses? How could he know something was wrong?

"Um, nothing" she replied a little too quickly.

"You're lying to me Gabriella" he said and before she could protest he pulled her into a hug, Gabriella relaxed instantly and her arms crept around his waist.

"Now are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Troy asked quietly, Gabriella shivered as she felt his warm breath on her cheek, this was unfair, he wasn't allowed to do that, he wasn't allowed to use her weakness against her. Gabriella knew that as soon as Troy so much as touched her, everything crumbled and she always told him the truth, it was something that he had picked up on the last few days and he used it all the time.

"I had a freak out this morning about the decathlon and while I was having it I slipped back into thinking I was in my old life and Dad was still alive, at least that's what it felt like, and than I almost asked Mom where dad was" she admitted softly, so that only he could hear.

"Gabriella, have you let go yet?" Troy asked as his hand rubbed her back.

Gabriella pulled back from him and looked up to see he was very serious. She looked at him curiously.

"Let go of what?" she said curiously, she hadn't left the circle of his arms, she'd just moved so that she could see his face clearly.

"Your dad" Troy replied and Gabriella felt her mouth drop open. Where had this come from?

"What do you mean 'let go'?" Gabriella snapped and Troy sighed.

"Gabriella, sometimes when I watch you, it seems like you want to be living your old life, it's like you want to live it because if you don't you're going to forget your dad. When I say let go, I mean let go of your old life and let go of your memories" Gabriella stared at Troy in shock, unable to believe that he had just said.

"Of my memories" she repeated blinking and Troy's hand continued its path, Gabriella didn't know what to do.

"Gabriella, you're not remembering your good times with your dad. You keep reliving the day and you're not letting go of that day, when you have to. Gabi, you're not going to be happy until you let what happened go and start remembering your dad the way he wanted you to remember him" Troy said sounding slightly frustrated with her. Gabriella stood frozen as she realized what he had just called her, she'd asked her mother to not call her that and she had obliged. But it sounded so……different coming from Troy. Gabriella didn't know how it made her feel.

"How can I let go, Troy? I haven't been back to the grave since we buried him, I don't _want _to go back to the grave until I find out why it happened! That's all I want, is to know why it had to happen to me and than maybe I can let go" Gabriella said and she felt a single tear slide down her face as he looked at her.

Troy didn't say anymore he just pulled her closer to him, Gabriella closed her eyes and leaned into him and wondered if Troy was right. She wondered if she did need to let go of her dad so she could find the peace that she had been craving. She wondered if she needed to let go so that she could remember him the way he had wanted her to remember him. She wondered if she needed to let go so that she could be content again.

"Come on, we have to get to homeroom" Troy said after a moment, Gabriella pulled away from him and smiled, Troy didn't let her go, however, he kept his arm firmly around her shoulders and after a moment she slipped her arm around his waist.

They reached their homeroom and paused, neither really wanting to enter. Finally Troy sighed and Gabriella grinned.

"We have to go in" he said sounding less than happy.

"Mmm-hmm, if I don't see you before good luck with your game" Gabriella said kissing his cheek.

"Good luck with your decathlon" he replied with a grin, dropping a kiss on her forehead, Gabriella smiled back at him and than reluctantly they separated as they walked into the room. Both knowing that they weren't going to get a moment alone till it was all over.

Gabriella watched the clock nervously. It was last period and every minute pulled her closer to the decathlon. She was nervous; she'd admitted it several times to Taylor and a few times to Chad and both of them had begun to find her nerves amusing. Gabriella still wasn't sure why she was nervous and she still wasn't that keen on finding out. She wished Troy was there to help her calm down, but she hadn't spoken to him since homeroom. He'd walk into class late and leave before anyone was out of their seats. She'd looked at him a few times during the course of the day and she'd noticed that he was nervous as well, she didn't blame him, he was carrying the weight of winning the game on his shoulders and she could tell that he wasn't particularly happy about it. Gabriella was snapped out of her thoughts by the bell, she sat there, frozen, completely terrified of the thought of doing what she was about to do.

"Gabriella? Are you okay?" Taylor asked looking at her friends worriedly.

Gabriella looked up at her, at loss for words. Taylor looked at her with raised eyebrows, unable to read her face. Taylor wished Troy hadn't left so he could get Gabriella to talk.

"Yep, I'm great, sorry zoned out for a second" Gabriella replied and braced herself for a Troy related comment.

"Oh okay, well come on" Taylor replied and Gabriella gave her a bizarre look, Taylor just shrugged in reply and the two girls headed to their respective lockers.

Gabriella reached hers and yanked it open, ignoring the entire school thundering past to the gym. She placed her books in and felt herself prick her finger on something.

"Ow" Gabriella muttered pulling it out and examining the wound.

After deciding it was harmless, Gabriella turned her attention back to her locker to see what had pricked her finger. On closer inspection Gabriella found a single red rose and a note, both from Troy. She could feel a stupid grin forming on her face as she read the note and smelled the rose. For a moment she felt completely calm and prepared for whatever came next.

Gabriella walked into the classroom the decathlon was being held in and looked around for her mother. A sick feeling arrived in her stomach when she discovered that her mother wasn't there yet. This wasn't fair; her mother had said she would be here. Gabriella closed her eyes and counted to ten and than reopened them, only to be disappointed again. _She wasn't there_.

"Gabriella, we've got three minutes before we start" Taylor whispered to her and Gabriella nodded absently, her eyes desperately scanning the seats to find her mother.

"Don't look so worried, I told you I wouldn't miss it" her mother whispered in her ear.

Gabriella spun around to face her and felt a relieved smile break out on her face.

"I wasn't worried" she replied and Carmen smiled at her and than noticed the rose her daughter held.

"Secret admirer?" she asked nodding at it and than watched in amusement as Gabriella went a deep shade of red.

"I'm going to choose not to answer that" Gabriella replied and felt Taylor pinch her, Gabriella looked at her curiously and than realized that the competition was about to start.

"I'll talk to you later" she whispered to her mother who nodded and went to find a seat.

As soon as her mother left Gabriella's nerves took hold and she began to feel slightly sick. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. It didn't help, Gabriella allowed her eyes to drift down and rest on the rose. Almost immediately the feeling of nausea receded and Gabriella felt calm enough to stand up and join her teammates, who were waiting for the start of the competition. She looked at Taylor and they exchanged a confident grin, both prepared for what was coming.

For Gabriella, the decathlon flew by. To her it felt like it had just started when they announced East High the winner. Gabriella stood there as the congratulations swirled around her, feeling slightly incomplete. She didn't know why she feeling incomplete, she just did and she couldn't figure out whether it was because her dad was missing or because Troy was missing. She jumped when Taylor grabbed her hand.

"We won, thanks to you, anyway we have to get to the gym the game just finished and the Wildcats won" Taylor said and Gabriella blinked a few times and then registered what she had said.

"Okay, sure, let me tell my mom" Gabriella nodded as she spoke and was already unbuttoning her lab coat.

Gabriella walked into the gym, and looked around the gym with a sarcastic expression on her face. This definitely wasn't unusual, all these people hugging other people that they didn't know. The teachers were celebrating by jumping around and hugging each other and in the middle of it all she could see Troy. Smiling she pushed through the crowd to reach him. Once she had she slipped her hand into his.

"Hey" she whispered in his ear, he turned his head and grinned at her.

"I heard you won too" he said and Gabriella blushed furiously.

"Yeah we did, although the celebration wasn't as big as this" she said and he laughed.

They stood there in silence for a moment as people milled around them, Troy nodded at a few people and spoke to a few as well, but he never let go of Gabriella's hand. She stood there silently and watched him as he spoke; she observed the dried sweat on his forehead and how his hair stuck to his head, she observed how relaxed he was. Her eyes crept along his jaw line, up over his moving mouth, she followed the curve of his cheek and than blushed when her eyes met his blue ones, which were looking at her curiously. Gabriella could feel her stomach flip as the eyes turned serious, and the emotion that seemed to fill his eyes when he was looking at her surfaced.

"Troy! My man, your dad wants us on stage" Chad jumped up out of no-where and Gabriella suddenly realized how close Troy's face was to hers, she went a deep shade of red and let go of Troy's hand.

"Okay, Chad" when Chad had bounded away Troy continued "Look, the school's holding an after party. So save me a dance?" he asked her, Gabriella smiled up at him and nodded.

"Sure" she replied and he was forced to run off when they heard Chad's voice yelling for him.

Gabriella stood there for a moment and than wrapped her arms around herself, she could see some girls giving her envious looks and her mind returned to the nervous feeling in her stomach that had seemed to disappear. Gabriella looked around and suddenly found she couldn't be there anymore, she needed to get out of the gym. She needed time to think.

Gabriella stared at the stars, she was on the rooftop and although she could hear music blaring from the gym, she found the night silent and still. Gabriella sighed as her mind drifted back to Troy's words this morning, he wanted to her let go and the more she thought about it the more his words began to make sense to her. All she remembered was the day and the night before. Her mind kept on running into a brick wall when she tried to remember any of the good times. She just couldn't. Gabriella sighed again and her mind turned to the nervousness she'd felt and that's when she realized what had been wrong. How could she not have known that? It had been obvious to her mother why she was so nervous, so why had it taken her so long to figure it out?

"Hey, what are you doing up here?" Troy's voice broke through her thoughts and Gabriella jumped and turned to face him.

"Thinking" she replied, noticing he had changed and his hair was slightly damp.

"About what?" he asked.

"You know how I was nervous today? I finally figured out why I was nervous" Gabriella replied and Troy came and leaned against the railing beside her.

"And why where you nervous?" Troy said not looking at her.

"Today was my first competition without my dad coming to watch me. I think that maybe I thought that I couldn't compete without him coming to watch me" she replied quietly.

They were both silent for a moment and Gabriella looked at the stars. Unsure what he was going to say next.

"You know how this morning you told me you wanted to know why it happened to you?" he asked and Gabriella looked at him in surprise, his voice was low and careful.

"Yes" she replied and waited as he turned his head to look at her, his eyes unbearably bright.

"Maybe it happened to you because you needed to learn to live as yourself and create a life that is your own. I know you were close to your father, but you were living in your father's shadow. Maybe you needed to learn to appreciate him as his own person and you needed to learn to be your own person. Maybe that's why it happened to you" Gabriella stared at him and opened her mouth to respond, when a song started to play and Troy turned to her. Silently he offered her his hand and she accepted, he spun her around and than slipped an arm around her waist while she rested an arm on his shoulder.

_**It's amazing how you **_

_**Can speak right to my heart**_

_**Without saying a word**_

_**You can light up the dark**_

_**Try as I may**_

_**I can never explain**_

_**What I hear when you don't say a thing**_

_**The smile on your face**_

_**Lets me know that you need me**_

_**There's a truth in you eyes**_

_**Saying you'll never leave me**_

_**The touch of your hand**_

_**Says you'll catch me where ever I fall**_

_**You say it best**_

_**When you say nothing at all**_

_**All day long**_

_**I can hear people talking out loud**_

_**But when you hold me near**_

_**You drown out the crowd**_

_**Try as they may**_

_**They can never define**_

_**What's been said between your heart and mine**_

_**The smile on your face**_

_**Lets me know that you need me**_

_**There's a truth in your eyes**_

_**Saying you'll never leave me**_

_**The touch of your hand **_

_**Says you'll catch me where ever I fall**_

_**You say it best**_

_**When you say nothing at all**_

_**The smile on your face**_

_**Lets me know that you need me **_

_**There's a truth in your eyes**_

_**Saying you'll never leave me**_

_**The touch of your hand**_

_**Says you'll catch me where ever I fall**_

_**You say it best **_

_**When you say nothing at all**_

_**That smile on your face**_

_**The truth in your eyes**_

_**The touch of your hand**_

_**Lets me know that you need me**_

The song faded out and Gabriella and Troy stopped moving. She looked up at him and smiled, it did amaze her how he managed to speak right to her heart, he always managed to light up the dark for her, she couldn't explain what happened when he just looked at her. The smile on his face left her in no doubt that he needed her, as she gazed into his eyes she knew that he would never leave her, his touch told her he would catch where ever she fell. He did drown out the crowd when he held her and there was nothing to define what was being said between them at that moment. Gabriella slipped her arms around his neck as his hand moved to caress her cheek, she shivered as his hand made contact with her cheek. As she looked up at him, her breath caught in her throat as he leaned in closer and closer. Gabriella's eyes drifted shut as their lips connected for the first time. This was different from when he kissed her cheek or her forehead, because there was something indescribable about it. Gabriella felt his arm that rested on her waist tighten and she felt a new sensation. Gabriella felt Troy catching her right before she hit the ground, she felt him silence the questions forever, she could feel him take away all the leftover pain and she felt elated. He made everything alright, he could read her like an open book, there was no way that she could hide from him, he'd known her for two weeks and he already knew her inside out.

They pulled apart, the need for air finally getting to them. Troy kept his face close to Gabriella's and she smiled.

"Wow" he whispered.

"Thank you Troy" she replied and he looked at her, confused.

"Thank you for everything, thank you for seeing past my defenses, thank you for forcing me to confront my feelings, thank you for putting the pieces back together, thank you for catching me, thank you for making me feel again. Thank you for saving me" Gabriella said and he smiled.

"Your welcome" Troy said and he kissed her again.

Gabriella smiled inwardly and returned the pressure of his lips. Try as she may she could never define what's being said between his heart and hers.

**A/N: Done! I hope you all liked it! I'm working on the next chapter for 'Crash World' those who are interested so it should be up soon, as should the next chapter for 'Chemicals React', so yeah, oh the song was 'The Smile On Your Face' by Paul Brandt. I'll try and update soon!** ****


	13. Inner Strength

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.**

**A/N: Sadly this is the last chapter to this story!!! It's kind of an epilogue, so I hope you like it!**

_**Saving Me**_

**CHAPTER 13**

**INNER STRENGTH**

Gabriella shivered as she felt the cool, sea breeze pass through her hair. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body and continued up the well worn path. It amazed her that it had been a year to the day since she had last been here. The last time she had been here she had promised herself that she would never, ever come back. Yet here she was walking the very path she had sworn to never walk again. As she continued Gabriella allowed her mind to drift and she felt a smile play on her lips as she thought back to the car, which was where Troy was patiently waiting for her. He had been the one that had suggested she come here, he'd been very vague as to why but Gabriella knew that it had something to do with the fact that he knew that she still hadn't let go. No matter what she said to him, Troy always saw right through it. This had left her to tell him the truth, even though she knew that he already knew. Gabriella's breath caught in her throat as she reached the end of the path. She'd forgotten how beautiful it was up here; Gabriella had chosen to come at sunset, she hadn't told Troy why she had to wait a whole day till coming because she wasn't sure herself. Now that she was here she still wasn't sure. Gabriella sighed and quickly found what she was looking for. The headstone looked lonely as she approached it, but Gabriella knew that there was no other place he had wanted to be buried. She stopped at it and stared at it for a moment. Now she had no idea what to do, she was here and that was it.

"Uh, hi Dad" Gabriella started feeling incredibly stupid "I know it's been really long since I came, nearly a year truthfully and I know your probably wondering why it took me so long to come and I'm not going to give you an excuse you'd see right through it anyway, all I'm going to say is sorry" she continued fiddling with the ring Troy had given her a few days ago.

Gabriella stopped fiddling with the ring and stared at it. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes and she looked up at the headstone. Suddenly knowing exactly what to say.

"We moved Dad, moved away from here, Mom couldn't take it and although I pretended I could, I couldn't. It was to hard being here and not having you around. So Mom's company transferred her to Albuquerque, you know in New Mexico and………I met someone. You'd love him Dad, honestly you would. Remember how you used to get stuck into me about Kyle? Because he was on the decathlon team with me? Well, Troy's the opposite, he's the captain of the basketball at East High and he'd give you a run for your money on the court. He's so good to me and remember how you always said that I needed to get a boyfriend that could read me like you could? I've found him Dad, there is no way on gods green earth that I can lie to Troy, he knows me better than anyone else, I think that maybe you'd be jealous of him" as she talked Gabriella could feel something lifting, something she never thought would leave. Gabriella could feel herself letting go of her father as she told him about all the things Troy had done to Chad, or what Chad had done to Taylor, or what she and Troy and done to Chad and Taylor. She told him about how she and Troy never seemed to need words when communicating with each other. She told him about her mother and how she had just started to see someone new.

"She's so happy and Gary's great, he really is. He doesn't try to be you when he's around me; he told me once that he didn't want to be my father figure because Coach Bolton's already like that. We're friends and it's nice to have him around. Mom really does adore him, you can't wipe the smile from her face, it's so great to see her like this" Gabriella paused for a moment and wondered if she should tell him how she was. She fiddled with a blade of grass, during her one-sided conversation she had sat down.

"Now you know about everything, you're probably wondering how I am. In all honesty Dad, I'm happier than I have been in a long, long time. I'm as happy as I was before you got sick. I've got all these great friends Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Zeke, Mom's happy, Gary's just great, you already know that though. But my happiness really comes down to one boy; there are no words to tell you how happy Troy makes me Dad" Gabriella's voice softened and she looked up at the stars as she spoke "I know I've told you that before but he does, he knows when I'm afraid, he knows when I'm about to cry, he knows when I miss you, he just knows. Like you did, but it's so different because you never seemed to come to me, you waited for me to come to you and Troy doesn't do that. All he has to do is look at me and he knows" Gabriella let out a soft laugh as she looked back down and at the headstone which was lit by the full moon, she could hear the waves crashing below and the leaves rustled by a soft breeze and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Her head suddenly snapped up as she heard a song drift over to her, she relaxed as she began to listen to it.

_**Gotta find your inner strength**_

**_If you can't than just throw life away_**

_**Gotta learn to rely on you**_

_**Beauty strength and wisdom too**_

**_You're beautiful inside and out_**

_**Lead a great life without a doubt**_

_**Don't need a man to make things fair**_

_**It's more than likely he won't be there**_

_**Now listen girl you gotta know its true**_

**_In the end all you've got is you_**

Gabriella smiled as the song faded out.

"Dad, Troy's my inner strength. When I think I can't keep going all I have to do is look at him and I can keep going, he made sure I didn't throw my life away. He makes sure I know no boundaries; he keeps reminding me how good a life I do lead. I don't need him that much, because he's taught me to rely on myself, he taught me that as he was saving me Dad. I wish you two could have met because you would see how great he is, you would see how much I love him" Gabriella stopped as she felt a lump begin to form in her throat, she could feel him leaving her. Gabriella knew he was leaving her because she had found someone that knew her the way he had, someone that could see through her and see the person she really was, the someone that comforted her when she was upset, that teased her when they were allowed, the someone that was allowed to call her Gabi.

"I love him so much Dad and I know you know how much I love you and I just wanted you to know that. I wanted you to know that I love you, more than you could possibly think I could, I wanted you to know that I've found someone that I love as much as I love you. I wanted you to know that Mom and I are happy and I think I've finally understood your saying, you know the one you used to tell me when I was little and had time to listen? You have to remember it; it was '_It's better to light a candle, than to curse the dark_'. I was cursing the dark before I met Troy and now I have a candle and I can see again" Gabriella finished her throat raw from talking and her eyes bright with unshed tears.

Choking back a sob she stood, turned and nearly ran into Troy. She fell into him as he wrapped his arms around her. Gabriella knew that Troy knew she had finally let go of her father. They stood there for a moment and than Gabriella pulled back. She looked up at Troy and he smiled, Gabriella closed her eyes and raised her lips to meet his. A feeling of contentment settled over her as they kissed.

"You know, I don't think your Dad would be too pleased with us making out in front of him" Troy commented and Gabriella laughed.

"You're probably right" she agreed and she turned back to the headstone. Troy kept a firm grip on her waist and Gabriella leaned into his chest.

'Dad, this is Troy the boy that saved me' Gabriella said silently and than she smiled, because for a moment, just a moment, she felt her father right beside her. She felt for one last time his lips pressed up against her forehead and the warmth of his hand on her arm for one last, brief moment and than he was gone. He was gone, she'd let him go and she knew that he'd finally gone because he knew that she was happy, he knew that she had been saved. Gabriella shivered slightly and Troy's arms tightened around her. Gabriella smiled and that's when she knew, '_He's always going to be the one saving me_' she didn't know how she knew she just knew that he would always be the one saving her no matter what.

**A/N: THE END!!!! Thank you guys all so much for the reviews, you have no idea how much they mean to me! I would name all of you but I don't have all night, I just had to say that they are really appreciated!! I really loved writing this story and I hope you loved reading it just as much!! Anyway, it's all over but I'm still working on 'Crash World' and 'Chemicals React' and they should be updated soon! Thanks again so much! Oh the song was 'Inner Strength' another Hilary Duff song, I don't like her that much but just remember that it's not about who sings it it's about the lyrics! Thank you so, so much!!!!**


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